


Name of the Game

by esama



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark sider Obi-Wan Kenobi, Don't copy to another site, Explicit Sexual Content, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Mind Games, Praise Kink, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:42:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esama/pseuds/esama
Summary: There's a new Dark Sider on the battlefield, one who has it out for Cody's General.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 593
Kudos: 2395





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed

The battle is already going to hell – they've lost all their air support, two thirds of their ground forces are compromised and they lost the forward basecamp hours ago. Cody's throat is sore from shouting over the blaster fire and explosions, trying to keep track of things, trying to get the men out of the field without getting all of them killed – and then from a stray comm comes a terrified scream.

" _Red lightsaber_!"

"Sir," Cody calls automatically over the cacophony of the command centre. "Force user spotted in the field – red lightsaber!"

"Is it Ventress?" his General asks tightly, coming forward in long strides.

Cody turns back to the comms, hitting all channels in that section of the battlefield. "All units, a red lightsaber was spotted on the field – does anyone have eyes on the target? I want positive identification."

There's cacophony for a moment, static, blasters, somewhere outside the command post there's an explosion, and then, "Unknown target, sir – I don't know this one," comes from a Lieutenant. "Human or near-human male, approximately thirty to forty years old. Son of a –"

There's a crack on the comms, a scream, and then a new voice on the comms.

"Well, hello there," a male voice purrs. "Might this be a command centre of some kind?"

Cody looks up to his General, whose eyes have glazed over in that _searching the Force_ way.

"Tick tock, tick tock, time's short," the voice on the comms says, amused. Their accent is coruscanti enough to be _posh_. "You got ten seconds to open negotiations and then I will dispatch this post here with all it's hands – "

His Jedi General is still busy with the Force so, cursing, Cody hits the comms. "This is Marshall Commander of the 212st Attack Battalion, who am I speaking with?"

"Ah, the Marshal Commander himself, what an honour," the voice says, conversationally. "I am the General of the Droid Army here and these are my terms. Surrender now, announce your total defeat, relinquish all your holds on this fair planet… and I will give you six hours to evacuate. You have five minutes to decide."

Evacuate? Cody opens his mouth and looks at his General who has gone a little pale, his eyes sharpening back to focus. Their eyes meet and Cody mutes the comms. "Sir," he says grimly. "Even if he's not good to his word, we should try it. We've lost here – they've already cut off our retreat and our air support is gone. If we try and fight, it's going to be a massacre."

His General closes his eyes, a pained grimace on his noble face. Then he reaches for his comms. "This is – this is General Jinn. Are those your only terms?"

There's silence on the other end – and then laughter. "General Jinn, is it! Oh how the tables _turn_!" he crows in delight. "Announce your defeat now, _General Jinn._ Surrender, have all your men cease fire and lay down their arms, and we shall see."

Cody looks up to his General, as Jinn runs a hand over his face. It shakes a little as the man draws a breath in and out. Then the General gives a nod. "Do it, Cody."

Cody swallows – there's something going on, something personal, _Jedi Business_ , and it never turns out well for them. "All troops, cease fire, I repeat, cease fire," he calls on all channels. "We're surrendering. Lay down your arms."

It happens slowly and then fast. There are affirmatives on the comms, unhappy ones, and bit by bit the blaster fire ceases. On the Separatist side, the bombardment peters off, and with a last burst of blaster fire, the battle field falls suddenly, almost awkwardly, silent.

"Good," comes the Separatist General's voice on the comms. "Have your men leave their equipment and they're free to fall back on your basecamp. You may call in your troop carriers in an hour, once our ships are in escort positions. Don't," he adds sharply, "try any Skywalker tactics."

With that done, the comms cut off, and the only sound in the command centre is rattling of electricity from a broken cable, and Jinn's heavy sigh.

"Cody, tally our dead and wounded and see what can be done for them, and prepare our men for evacuation," he says dully. "I don't want any accidental discharges during the evacuation, either."

"Sir," Cody nods sharply. "Will the separatist hold to their word?"

"Separatists might not – but _he_ will," Jinn sighs, bowing his head. "Inform the Jedi High Council – the Separatists got Kenobi on their side."

* * *

Kenobi is a meticulously groomed man with auburn hair and beard – and brilliant, Sith yellow eyes. He meets them utterly alone, without so much as a single battle droid to company him, and with no armour whatsoever, only a long dark jacket and lightsaber at his side. He's almost _infuriatingly_ open, out there, in the field in front of them – it seems almost like a mockery. He lets himself be surrounded by their forces, completely certain of his own safety.

Granted, the man does have gunships aimed at their direction, and their position is surrounded by droid armies – they are outnumbered nearly one to ten at this point. Still… there are some commanders who would be tempted to try and take the man hostage to try and enforce their retreat, or even try to take back the planet. Kenobi has to know it, and he's there anyway, completely confident that they will do no such thing.

The fact that the man so brazenly just saunters up to them with no back up is a pointed show of power, and it is _felt_. Though nowhere near to being in his way, the scattered clone troopers in the field part before him, giving him a respectful, fearful space as he walks right up to Cody – and to General Jinn.

He's smiling and it looks like it's carved from marble. "Hello there, General Jinn."

Beside Cody, the Jedi seems to swallow his tongue for a moment. "General Kenobi," he says, stiffly.

Kenobi's smile widens. "I wouldn't customarily make a visit myself," he admits. "But to see you in _armour_ , fighting a _war_. It warms my heart, to see the mighty fall so far. It must've made such a crash, for you to come toppling down from your pedestal."

Jinn clears his throat. "Still bitter, are we?"

"Bitter? No, _never_ ," Kenobi says chuckle. "But utterly, completely vindictive? Oh, absolutely. How does the peace keeper life look now – how many wars have to _you_ stopped? Oh wait – there's just the one, and it's still going, isn't it?"

"One would've thought you'd join it sooner," Jinn says, folding his hands into his sleeves. "It's just the sort of thing for you."

"I was in Mandalore – brokering a peace treaty as it happens," Kenobi says, his eyes gleaming. "Which I did. And now I'm here."

"To broker peace here too?" Jinn asks, almost sarcastic.

"We shall see, won't we? I will have to see how the war goes, first - and what's the point of trying, if you already know the outcome?" Kenobi says and looks around. "So these are the _clones troops_ , hm? Well now..."

Jinn stiffens slightly at that. "Kenobi, _don't_ – "

"What, try to tempt your troops away from you? Oh no," The Separatist General chuckles, his eyes turning to Cody and raking him up and down with a definite look of appreciation in his glowing eyes. "I know they have less of a choice in this war than you, there'd be no point. But I can admire fine craftsmanship when I see it, can I not? The _greatest army in the galaxy_. It's really quite something, to see it up close."

Cody shifts his footing, a little nervous as Kenobi keeps on _staring at him_. It's a bit much to call them the greatest army in the galaxy too, after they got their asses so thoroughly handed to them.

"Will you keep your word on the evacuation?" Jinn asks stiffly.

"I don't take prisoners," Kenobi hums and Cody's spine straightens, alarm flashing through him. Kenobi continues, smiling. "You're free to go. I will be taking all of your gear, though – all the weapons on the ground, all the war machinery, the guns, the tanks, the mobile units, they're all now mine and don't you dare try to sabotage any of them. But you can take your men and go."

Cody glances at his General – he knows for a fact that the AT-TE's alone are worth more than their surviving men. Half of a star destroyer's arsenal would be lost to the enemy here – and not just any enemy, but one with clear intentions of putting them back to use… The higher ups wouldn't be happy about the gear, but the remaining men would survive.

General Jinn thinks about it for a moment, looking down at the ground. Then he looks at Kenobi. "What did the Separatist offer you that the Republic couldn't have? Aside from access to Dooku's research on the Dark Side."

Kenobi smiles. "I don't care about his research – he had something much better than that. A thing the Republic could never give me. _A good opponent_ ," he says, which sends a shiver up Cody's back. "You know me and wars, Master – I'm inexorably _drawn_ to them."

Jinn bows his head slightly at that and releases a sigh. "I know, Obi-Wan," he agrees quietly. "You can have the gear and the vehicles, if you allow our troop carriers to land unopposed."

Kenobi smiles. "Good," he says, the corners of his eyes actually crinkling with pleased satisfaction. His eyes shift to Cody momentarily, lingering, and then he turns to leave. "It was pleasure waging war with you. Let's do it again, sometime."

No one stops him.

* * *

Cody asks General Jinn later, off hand, why they didn't try to take Kenobi. He can tell why – likely it would've led to their deaths, if they had, the droids would have overtaken them and slaughtered them. But Jinn _knew_ something about Kenobi. He knew enough to be not just wary of him – but afraid of him.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn't do uncalculated moves on the battlefield. If we had, we would've played into his hand," General Jinn admits.

"We already played into his hand," Waxer points out.

Jinn snorts, shaking his head. "On one hand, Obi-Wan holds a gift. In the other, he holds a knife," he says. "If you don't take the gift, you will get the knife."

"Such a gift," Boil mutters.

Cody frowns a little, ignoring him and eyeing their General. "You know him, sir – you know him personally. Who is he?" he asks.

Jinn doesn't move, doesn't answer for so long that Cody thinks he might just ignore the question. Then he sighs. "He was my Padawan, once – many, many years ago, long before Anakin. He wasn't my student for very long, we weren't together a year before we had our… final disagreement," he says and shakes his head. "On a war torn planet, our mission was to evacuate a wounded Jedi – which I did. Obi-Wan Kenobi felt we should do _more_ for the planet, to try and stop the war. In the end he stayed to fight, and I let him."

Waxer and Boil exchange looks, while Cody eyes their General, waiting for more. When nothing more comes forth, Waxer asks slowly, "You… let him."

Jinn looks down, and he looks _ashamed_. "I let him – I _left_ him. He was expelled from the Jedi Order," he says quietly. "It was a different time. Jedi weren't Generals then. We didn't fight in wars. It wasn't our way – we were _peace keepers_."

"That's why he mocked you," Boil realises and Waxer elbows him sharply.

Jinn hums in agreement, "And he had every right. It's been twenty five years since – he's been going from one war to another ever since, growing into one of the most brilliant military tacticians in the galaxy," the Jedi admits with begrudging sort of respect and bitter amusement. "And now the rest of us are following suite, doing what he did at the age of fourteen. He must've been _thrilled_ when he learned Jedi were to become the Generals in the Great Armies of the Republic."

Cody frowns, making a mental calculation. Fourteen for natural born humans would be… seven for a clone. Damn. "And now he's a Sith to boot," he mutters. "That's a _great_ opponent to have."

"I don't think he's a Sith, personally," Jinn admits with a heavy sigh. "I don't know everything that's happened to him since I was his master, I've only met him a few time since and accurate records of his exploits are hard to find, but… somewhere along the way, his constant contact with war likely made him fall to the Dark Side. It's obvious he thrives in warzones now. But it's not for greed or power or even the pain he gets to inflict on others. He's in it for the glory."

Cody looks up automatically and then away. _Glory_ , huh? "Well, that's even better," he says. "But sir – you were sure he'd let us leave. Many Separatist Generals wouldn't, but you knew he would. How?"

"Past experience," Jinn admits with a shrug. "He doesn't take prisoners, too much of a hassle apparently, and he doesn't like killing them. After all, if you kill your enemies, who do you have left to fight? And he does enjoy his fighting."

Well… it's slightly better than facing against Grievous. Slightly.

* * *

As far as opponents go, Kenobi actually is one of the more… well one wouldn't call him _better_ , the man is damn good at what he does which means he wins three times out of five. But he's a honourable sort of opponent to have. He doesn't go for obvious weak points, he doesn't attack supply lines or medical stations, he doesn't go for soft targets, which is better than what some Separatist Generals do. He also doesn't execute enemies, doesn't do orbital bombardment, and unlike almost everyone else, he doesn't destroy crippled ships – if they get taken out of the fight, then they're out of the fight for him. He doesn't need to reduce a helpless ship and all the people inside it to scrap to be sure of his victory.

He's predictable, Cody thinks – except for the way he isn't. You can never be sure what Kenobi will do on the battlefield, but you can be certain of decent treatment at the end of it, if you make it that far. Win or lose, Kenobi is a good sport… or as good a sport as you can be, war.

And then Kenobi takes him hostage – him and all men on board the Negotiator, and Cody has to re-assess.

"It's a _boarding_ , I am boarding your ship," the man clarifies, smiling. "I decided I like it, and I think I'm going to keep it."

Cody eyes him, already missing his helmet – Kenobi's droids had taken all their communications devices, including all their buckets. "And yet here we are, as your prisoners."

"Only until I find someone to leave you with," Kenobi assures him, running a hand across a panel with a new owner's appreciation, eying the deck. "It's either that… actually it's just that. I'm not wasting evacuation pods or drop ships on you, when I might as well take you to some neutral planet and drop you directly, with no waste of resources."

"And in the mean time what will happen to us?" Cody asks coolly. "I heard you thought keeping prisoners was a hassle."

"It is – you have to worry about feeding them and taking care of medical needs, it's all too much for a single man to manage," Kenobi agrees. "Thankfully I have this _beautiful_ new Venator, fully stocked with all the things thousands of men need to thrive, none of which I, as a proponent of Droid Armies, actually need. You and your men will be well cared for, Marshal Commander, never fear. Your movements will be restricted, of course, but you needs will be met."

Cody hums at that. Well, it's… better than being thrown out of an airlock. "Thank you," he says and then, unable to help himself, asks, "Did you target us because of General Jinn?" Who, conveniently enough wasn't around at the time of the attack...

Kenobi smiles, turning to him. "Too petty for you?" he asks, his eyes _twinkling_ with devilish satisfaction.

"Just wondering if we should prepare for more of the same in future," Cody says wryly.

"Well… I admit, when I was choosing whose Venator to go after, General Jinn's was right on top of the list. I mean, really, the name alone... the _Negotiator_ ," the enemy General says emphatically and then chuckles. "How could I possibly pass that by? It was all but _gift wrapped_ , I swear."

"Ah," Cody says and smothers a sigh. Damn Jedi and Sith and everything in between. "I _will_ prepare for more of the same in the future, then."

"You do that, Marshal Commander," Kenobi purrs, smiling, and then gives him a thoughtful look. "You know, it might take… a while before I can return you back to the awaiting bosom of the Republic. Do you think you could do me the honour of dining with me, in the meantime? I so rarely get chances to talk with… proper military men, and I've been _dying_ to pick a clone's brain."

Cody gives the man a look, and Kenobi returns it with another look of _obvious_ appreciation, raking his eyes up and down and so clearly liking what he was seeing that it made Cody a little hot around the neck. "Um," he says, uncertain.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to try and extort any military secrets out of you," Kenobi promises, running his fingers over his meticulously groomed beards. "That would utterly ruin the fun. But I would love to hear the sort of things a man grown to be a soldier might think about this war. Your perspective must be fascinating. So, would you do me the honour, Marshal Commander?"

It's probably a trick. And even if it isn't a trick, then it's _dangerous_ in so many other ways. Cody had looked into Kenobi – the guy had fought in more than two dozen major wars across the galaxy and there was one clear feature that followed him wherever he went. He had a record breaking number of enemies defecting to his side, joining his armies. From what Cody gathered, it was a mixture of his military prowess – and pure unadulterated _charisma_.

Dining with the man is a mistake.

But until this point nobody has asked Cody what he thought about the war – nobody outside other clones, anyway. Nobody cares what the clones think – and here is Kenobi, who seems to have _fascination_ for them, and for once it's not the _morbid_ sort of fascination most have. Kenobi's interest seems sincere, even if not particularly _simple_ in nature, and it's… almost more gratifying than it is worrying, to be at the receiving end of it. It's obviously a ploy and _yet_ …

"General Jinn told me it's either a gift or knife with you. You either accept the gift, or you get the knife," Cody says. "If I don't take this gift, what's the knife?"

"Oh my dear Marshal Commander," Kenobi says almost admonishingly, but mostly he seems delighted. "That's only on the battlefield. This is for pleasure. There are only gifts here."

That's even _worse_.

"… Alright, fine," Cody says, fascinated despite himself. This seems like a side of Kenobi Jinn doesn't know, and… and he can't deny he's curious too. "When?"

Kenobi smiles wider and Cody has a feeling that whatever this game is, Kenobi is twenty moves ahead of him, and he might've just lost.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for talk Kaminoan crap and brain chemistry manipulation.
> 
> Also written on phone with no beta so, there's probably more typos than usually, sorry about that.

The crew of the Negotiator and the company of 212th remain as Kenobi's unwilling guests on board the commandeered ship for nearly a full tenday, before the man finds a planet to drop them on. In that time, Cody dines with the man eight times – three of them alone, five with the rest of Cody's officers. 

Does Kenobi learn any military secrets from them? Cody isn't sure. Probably. The man doesn't ask about the war directly, but being clones Cody and his men don't know much about anything else – aside from the nonsense the Jedi get up to, and they can talk about that even _less._ So, unavoidably, when ever Kenobi entices them to talk – and the man is almost disturbingly easy to talk to – the anecdotes the clones come up with all inevitably relate to the war and the campaigns they'd taken part in. Christophsis, Sarrish, Teth... Waxer, as always, is happy for every excuse to talk about Ryloth, which at least isn't about the war efforts specifically. But it's painfully obvious that their pool of life experiences is rather limited.

"And you have no downtime?" Kenobi asks, oh so casual over the brim of a glass as he gets Cody's officers increasingly more and more drunk on expensive wine. "Outside your stations, your ships, whatever – no chance to get out, go to the town, to let loose?"

Cody gives the man an unimpressed look and Kenobi smiles back, unrepentant. Beside Cody, one of his senior officers clears his throat.

"We have free time every day – and we're free to spend it on acceptable, pre-selected, screened entertainment on base," Judicious says with a scoff, already too many cups into Kenobi's wine selection. "Hand picked by some fancy-smancy shrinks back in Coruscant. Supposedly they only select stuff for troop morale."

"Oh?" Kenobi asks against his glass.

Judicious goes on a tangent about all the war holos and novels, the marching music – letting slip how he "had to give to a week's worth of dessert rations and perfectly good can of armour paint for a little glimpse of skin," at which point Cody has to put an end to that line of discussion.

"We're not in this war to be entertained," he says sharply and looks at Kenobi, who has an unholy light in his Sith yellow eyes. "We don't _need_ downtime the same way natborn soldiers would – our brains are wired differently. We got different itches to scratch, and watching holos or whatever don't satisfy them."

It comes out _completely_ wrong – Cody might've had a cup too much himself at that point. But he has to convey somehow that his troops aren't _lacking_ in that way – that morale and entertainment, or lack-there-off, aren't the ways to weaken them.

"Oh?" Kenobi asks, smiling wider. "Different itches, hmm? I heard about that – that they made you mentally different from regular old humans. Care to elaborate, Commander?"

Cody probably shouldn't, but he does anyway. It's not like it's not already public knowledge. "The kaminoans altered our brain chemistry and the dopamine triggers to make us better suited for military life. Everyone knows about the decreased aggression," and the increased obedience, "but they also modified how our brains react to certain stimuli."

"Like what?" Kenobi asks, leaning closer, and Cody regrets every word that's come out of his mouth – and _why_ isn't the man's shirt buttoned up properly?

"Like blaster fire," Waxer says, thinking. "That smell, you know, when you fire your blaster and it singes the air, that ozone smell. _Mmh_."

Kenobi's brows arch, and he looks positively _enthralled._

"Explosions," Judicious says, thoughtful and a little wry. "There's nothing prettier than a good explosion in space. And cracking open a ship, a droid attack ship – anything that's metal and _hard._ It's like being hit with a stim, it's just so _satisfying_."

"Repeated motions – not, not like that," Waxer says quickly when Kenobi turns to grin at him. "Marching in line, checking or cleaning your blaster – things like that. It triggers that brain chemical reward – thing."

"Dopamine," Cody says, running a hand over his eyes in dismay. He hates everything about this. Kenobi is enjoying himself, obviously, but Cody has _so many regrets_.

Greggor, who's so far been blissfully silent, scratches at his chin thought. "And following orders, that's like… _yeah_ ," he says empathically. "I'm also pretty sure we all have a bit of praise ki-"

"Alright, that's _enough,_ " Cody says sharply while Waxer giggles into his cup and Kenobi's eyes positively light up.

"Oh, but this is fascinating," Kenobi says and, thank the Force, doesn't dig into _that_ precise slip. "They really went all out on making into the best soldiers there are, huh? I bet they did something to your stress and trauma reactions too."

"Yeah, clones don't really get PTSD," Judicious agrees with a snort. "They wired that one _right out._ "

"We don't have regular trauma responses, no," Cody agrees with a sigh. "Some clones are still affected, but the trauma has to be pretty severe to have a lasting impact."

"How about pain?" Kenobi asks, with enough thoughtful interest that it shuts even Waxer up – and reminds them all of the man's actual true nature. The Lieutenants look away from Kenobi and at Cody – who doesn't answer immediately.

The kaminoans had altered pain response too – with varying results. Some clones had next to none pain receptors and could end up trying to walk into action with mortal wounds. Others got their pain and pleasure mixed up to some embarrassing reactions… or _concerning_ ones. Some, like Cody himself who was considered one of the more successful mutations, had a reduced sense of pain, but still enough to know when he was injured.

"It varies," Cody says, reaching for his drink and leaving it at that.

With a thoughtful look in his nearly glowing eyes, Kenobi changes the subject.

The next dinner the discussion turns to General Jinn and Kenobi himself – Cody might've coached his men to broach the subject, they need some intel too. He half expects Kenobi to sidestep the subject – or to use it as an excuse to insult General Jinn… but he doesn't.

"I was a sheltered little Core World child with no idea what he was doing," Kenobi muses, a nostalgic look on his face. "Jinn was right to object, really – and probably right to leave me there, too."

"I thought you were pretty young?" Waxer asks interestedly.

"Fourteen, yes. Pretty young," Kenobi agrees. "Young, emotional, aggressive and utterly confident in my own ability. I learned quickly but I already was showing my true colours – and Jinn could see them. My fascination with war – wholly unacceptable for a Jedi, you know. At the time, anyway."

He tells them about the war on Melinda/Daan, which by today's standards would barely classify as skirmish except for how long it had been going. A civil war the likes of which the GAR doesn't bother itself with – between two sides and then between Elders who wanted to perpetuate the war and the Young who wanted to end it. All because of history and tradition.

The whole thing sounds pointless to Cody – war for the sake of war. Kenobi seems to agree.

"People get used to waging war. It's full of convenient excuses to keep going. _They killed some of ours, so let's kill some of theirs,_ on both sides, endlessly," Kenobi says thoughtfully. "That's what it boiled down to, on Melissa/Daan. People there had gotten so used to their war that they didn't know how to stop anymore. They had ruined the planet, used up the natural resources, the whole planet was bled dry financially – and the idea of just _stopping_ after so much had gone into the whole affair? Unthinkable. So when their children banded together to try and talk sense to their parents, the parents jumped at a chance for a new, fresh enemy to fight – to justify their ongoing war efforts."

There's a moment of silence. The clones might have somewhat limited understanding of the horrors natural borns can go through in war, but even they can tell that waging a war _against children_ is pretty messed up.

"What happened?" Cody asks after a moment. "Assuming the war ended – how?"

Kenobi looks at him grimly and shrugs. "We figured out eventually that the only way for it to ever end would be a total, _fundamental_ exchange of power. So as long as older generations had a say and for as long as there was someone to cry about the traditions, the war would continue. So, we made sure there wouldn't be. The planet is known as Melidaan now – they have a forced age of retirement in their government and military now. And they enforce with a _vengeance._ "

Cody isn't sure how to react to that, and he isn't the only one. Kenobi smiles and takes a drink.

"Anyway," he says, a little wistfully. "That was the mess your esteemed General left my impressionable padawan self in. And in a way I'm grateful. I don't think I would've enjoyed being a Jedi nearly as much. Looking at the Order now, they don't seem to be particularly enjoying themselves in this war. All that guilt and shame and _misery –_ really…"

"You haven't met Skywalker, have you?" Greggor asks with a snort. "That man is _thriving,_ from what I've heard."

"Yes, and I am looking forward to meeting him in battle one day," Kenobi hums. "He's the reason why most Separatist generals summarily execute surrendering enemies, you know. I'm really interested in how that came about."

Cody blinks. "I'm sorry – he's _what_?"

The enemy general gives him a look. "You can only fake out a surrender as a ploy to get behind enemy lines so many times before your enemies start taking a hint. The only reason why Skywalker hasn't been killed by now is because the droid army has standing orders to never shoot to kill when it's him or his troops."

It's said off hand, almost boredly as Kenobi reaches for a bit of bread, like he hadn't just upturned everything. "The… droid armies aren't shooting to kill when it's the 501st?" Cody repeats, strangled, while the other officers exchange wide eyed looks. " _Why not_?"

Kenobi shrugs. "No idea. Orders from the Council of the Confederacy of Independent Systems," he says. "I figure it's Count Dooku saving the kid for himself, or something, seeing as Skywalker is Jinn's former padawan, and Jinn was Dooku's. Funny though, that 212th don't seem to have that same untouchability, nor Jinn himself. But who am I to question the reasoning of Sith Lords?"

He shrugs again carelessly and then changes the subject – leaving that little mine festering in their midst.

* * *

Even with the bomb that was Separatist leniency towards General Skywalker for some reason, which Kenobi must've told them as some sort of tactic to sow dissent... it's the dinners alone with the man that leave Cody most out of sorts. In company it's obvious that Kenobi is looking to get information out of them, and it's clear enough _why_ , they are enemies on opposing sides after all. Alone, though…

Alone Kenobi doesn't seem to care about the war at all – not beyond what's unavoidable due to who they are and what they do. Mostly he just keeps asking about what Cody thinks about things he's never even thought of before. The food they're eating – multi course meal from various worlds, with a spice laden main dish and sweet dessert that melts just so on his tongue – or the music he has playing, or whatever else he wants to get Cody's reaction about. It's always something new.

"You know our experience with things like these is limited," Cody says while Kenobi adjusts the speakers, wondering if the man is subtly rubbing his nose in that inexperience.

"But that's what makes it so fascinating! You have a rare chance, Commander, to experience the pleasure this galaxy has to offer, utterly untainted and uninfluenced by the opinions of others," Kenobi says as a new type of music begins to play – a sudden hum of many instruments. "This is from the Dawn Philharmonic Orchestra from Alderaan – their Century Waltz. Listen."

Cody listens. The music is a little like a march, there's a powerful rhythm to it, though it's lacking any drums. It's all string instruments, striking a melody that's strangely… swaying.

Kenobi actually _is_ swaying to the rising tune. "Listen to that _swell_ ," he says, his tone almost dreamy. "This is called one of the stirring waltzes in the galaxy. Queen Breha used it as her marriage waltz – made me almost ready to pledge my undying loyalty to her right there and then."

"Just for the music?" Cody asks dubiously. "I didn't think Alderaan had use for mercenaries – aren't they a peaceful planet?"

"I met Bail Organa while he was supplying aid to a planet I was in the middle of conquering – now there's a delightful opponent on the field, Bail Organa," Kenobi hums and turns back to him, smiling and relaxed in a way that seems dangerous. "And in love, as it happens. He invited me to his wedding out of pure spite, I think."

Cody gives him an incredulous look and Kenobi laughs, still swaying, the hem of his long tunic swishing softly from side to side as he meanders back to the table. It makes it really obvious how little clothing he wears underneath – the soft, rich fabric moves too smoothly, clinging to his skin.

Cody swallows and reaches for the wine to hide his reaction. "Well the music is – moving. Bit overbearing on the high pitched parts."

Kenobi laughs. "I enjoy your honesty, Commander – the next piece should be lower pitched, never fear. Try the crimbak – the red fruit, there. You seemed to enjoy the musa berries last time – I think you will like these too. They're grown in Bandomeer – due to their toxicity you can only eat about four of them in a year…"

Cody hums, noncommittal as Kenobi prattles on about some distant planet Cody will never see, and tries the steamed fruit. It's bitter with a warm, pleasant tang – and tastes nothing like any ration Cody had ever eaten. At Kenobi's look, he says, "It's good," like he has with most of the food so far. "Could be stronger, I guess – it's mild."

During the course of this imprisonment, Kenobi has fed him more natural born food than the military or the kaminoans have throughout his entire life. Cody isn't sure what to think about any of it.

Kenobi gives him a fond look. "That single fruit costs more than a man's daily wage in Alderaan. _Could be stronger_ indeed," he says amusedly and pushes the spices rack closer to Cody. "Go on, douse it in hot sauce, I won't judge."

Cody gives him a frown, a little uncomfortable now. The disparity of life experience, of wealth and fortune – he usually doesn't care about these things. He's a clone with a job, that's all he needs and all he cares about. Natural born pleasures or privileged won't make any difference to him, once he's back on the field.

Kenobi makes him feel the things he's lacking though. He makes Cody almost want more. It's frustrating.

Cody doesn't add the sauce – the only thing that makes rations palatable and therefore the only thing he's familiar and comfortable with in this rich table. Instead he leans back and looks at Kenobi, wondering.

He can tell how the man has had so many enemies defecting to his side. There's a palpable promise of _more_ about him – it had already started to affect Cody's lieutenants who have been wandering about the things they were denied and why. It's here too, in the rich food and wine and music and even the clothes Kenobi wears – Cody might lack experience here too, but he can tell the man's dressed to entice. His shoulders are almost left _bared_ by his gaping neckline and the scar on his neck is damn tempting, making Cody wonder how it must feel under his fingers, silky smooth the way old burns get.

"No longer hungry, Commander?" Kenobi asks, smiling softly, tilting his head just so.

"What do you want from me, Kenobi?" Cody asks with a sigh.

Kenobi arches his brow. "And here I thought I was making myself obvious. Should I up the ante?"

"I can tell you want to fuck me, thanks," Cody says flatly. "But then what? I'm not going to defect if that's what you're after?"

"Oh my, how crude!" Kenobi gasps with theatrical alarm and then chuckles. "No, if I for a moment thought you'd be the sort of man to defect so easily, I wouldn't give you the time of the day," he admits with a smile. "I won't deny that the idea of... _compromising_ you is beyond enticing – but that's not what I'm after. I just fancy you, my dear Commander."

Cody folds his arms. "So you _just_ want to fuck me. _Right._ Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you can't see yourself through my eyes," Kenobi says, looking to and down slowly, pointedly enjoying what he sees. Corner of his mouth curls amusedly. "I looked into your past campaigns, you know, into your record. You're highly decorated, accomplished military commander, with nearly a dozen campaigns and many more engagements under your belt. And you're so _untouched_ by the galaxy you're fighting for – like a well honed, well polished weapon, utterly ignorant of all the things weapons can be used for. I'm afraid, Commander, you are very much my type."

Cody fails to find something to say and instead reached for the wine glass again, hoping the flush in his face isn't as blindingly obvious as it feels

"I can't _wait_ to meet you in the battlefield properly," Kenobi breathes, his eyes low lidded and leans back.

The dinner doesn't last for long after that – Kenobi gets a transmission he can't put off, and with the food already eaten there's no reason for him to keep Cody in. But if the transmission hadn't arrived just then… who knows.

"How did the date go, Commander?" Boil asks when he's returned to the officers quarters.

"Shove it," Cody says and permits himself the privilege of a long cold shower.

* * *

And then, just when Cody is starting to come to terms with eventually falling into bed with the man, Kenobi does a one-eighty and releases them.

"This is Ganeiine – a planet made neutral by its total lack of natural resources," Kenobi explains. "We've just spotted the Triumphant near by – we'll be dropping you down on the planet before flagging the Jedi Cruisers – they should be able to pick you up in no time at all."

He looks over the clone officers and then his eyes find Cody's. "Well then, this is it," he says with such sincere fondness that it steals Cody's breath for a moment. "Try to stay alive out there until we meet again, alright, Commander? 

"I will endeavour to give you a proper fight when we do," Cody says flatly, to hide his actual thoughts as best as he can.

By Kenobi's reaction, he might've just as well declared his undying love to the man. Kenobi actually clasps a hand over his chest and swoons. "You know just the things to say, my dear. I'll be looking forward to it."

With that said, they're marched into troop carriers by a bunch of battle droids, and then flown down to the barren planet below, to find their buckets and comms waiting for them down there in several crates. While Cody checks his helmet over for damage or bugs, Waxer sidles up to him, clearing his throat.

"So, Commander, uh…" he says and then trails away, uncertain.

Cody looks at him, arching his brows and says nothing. Waxer searches his face and then claps him in the shoulder in an awkward show of compassion for whatever he sees, and thankfully leaves it at that. Cody bows his head a little and then pulls his helmet on, letting himself sigh once behind its protective shell.

Somewhere in the orbit above them, the Negotiator turns away and into space. Cody watches on the scanners as it disappears into hyperspace and then looks away, telling himself he's _not_ feeling let down. There's plenty of war left to be fought – and he has a feeling that Kenobi will not be leaving him disappointed for very long.

Now whether Cody would leave Kenobi feeling disappointed, though… now that's something he needs to give some serious thought to, doesn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I diagnose Kenobi with Kinks.
> 
> Cody too, probably.


	3. Chapter 3

"I hope you know that I am not accusing you of anything, commander," General Jinn says with a heavy sigh. "I better than anyone know the persuasiveness of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and how he can be when he sets his mind to something, so whatever occurred, know that you aren't to blame. But your men have been… talking. And I thought to broach the subject before any issues could arise."

"Yes, sir," Cody agrees, hands clasped behind his back. "I understand."

Jinn waits for him to volunteer more information, to explain, and Cody holds his peace. After a while, the Jedi speaks up himself. "Your report was thorough," he says. "The dinner dates were mentioned and even timed, for which you're to be commended. But you didn't elaborate on what occurred during them."

"Because nothing occurred, sir," Cody says firmly. "It's all there in my report – I left nothing out."

Except the tone of voice Kenobi used, the wealth of implication and intention he could put to the pitch of his words, and looks Kenobi gave him, the way his gaze felt like a physical thing at times making Cody seriously wonder if Force sensitives might actually be able to _do_ that, touch someone with just the Force. If anyone could and if anyone would use it just to get someone hot and bothered, it'd be Kenobi.

"Is that right?" Jinn asks softly. "I would still like to hear what happens, in your own words, not in a written report."

" _Nothing_ happened, sir. He dined and wined me and we talked," Cody says, shaking his head. "The subject matter was never anything important – he wanted to know my opinion on the music he was playing, the food we were eating, things like that. Nothing to do with the war effort, sir."

"I never thought you would've given up any intelligence, Commander," Jinn says soothingly, all the while watching him with unnervingly keen eyes under his grey brows. "I'm not worried about our information – I'm worried about _you_. He didn't touch you?" he asks then, surprisingly blunt. "Didn't – force you into anything?"

"… no sir," Cody says, a cool feeling settling into his belly. Was _that_ what the General was worried about? "Not once."

His General hums, still worried. "I'm sorry for the breach of your privacy. I know some of Obi-Wan's nature in the battlefield, he's as honourable as a user of the Dark Side can get," he muses. "But I have no knowing what lengths he might go to, in pursuit of more personal desire and gratification. And from what I hear, he took a special shine to you."

"That's one word for it, sir," Cody agrees tightly, wishing he had his helmet on, and then shakes his head. "General, may I speak freely?"

"Always," Jinn promises quickly.

"I don't think it would be in the nature of the game he's playing to force it, sir," Cody says. "I never felt in danger with him, because his intentions are – not _pure,_ exactly, but…" he trails away, awkwardly. How to convey the absolute thrill Kenobi seemed to find in the pursuit? They'd only had three dinner dates, and yet Cody is absolutely sure of Kenobi's intentions – the man plays to win, absolutely, but he plays by a set of rules. Breaking them would ruin the game. "There's no fun in taking the easy way, sir. It's a long game he's playing."

Jinn's brows arch with surprise and he lifts his head a little. "Well," he says. "You might be right about that – it tends to be the way he does most things…" he falls quiet for a moment, thoughtful. "Your men implied that there might be future encounters – do you think he will come after you?"

"It's… more than likely," Cody admits ruefully.

Jinn hums, looking away and Cody waits for whatever the man is thinking to settle into words. "And he will likely come after me, too," Jinn muses dryly. "I would understand if you asked for a transfer, Cody."

"Absolutely not, sir," Cody says immediately. "I'm right where I want to be in the 212th."

The General gives him a look and it's plainly obvious he wants to ask – did Cody welcome Kenobi's advances, was it going to become a liability? Cody meets his eyes squarely and in the end Jinn bows his head slightly, shaking it ruefully.

"Well. It seems we will have some interesting times ahead of us," he muses and turns away, motioning Cody to follow him. "Now, what do you think of the news of the separatist favouritism over Anakin?"

"I couldn't say, sir," Cody says, relaxing now that the uncomfortable questioning is over. "I don't think it was the kind of intel Kenobi should've let loose so freely either, so I couldn't tell if it was true or not. It might've been an attempt at psychological warfare, trying to make us doubt General Skywalker, to drive a wedge into the GAR."

"I have been looking into Anakin's and the 501st's record so far – they have been inordinately lucky all throughout this war," Jinn says grimly. "The lowest mortality rate in all the Grand Army, with the highest success rate. In hindsight, they've been almost too lucky in situations where other Jedi and other troops would have had much less luck on their side. I thought it might have to do with his strong connection with the Force but…"

Cody had been doing the same, checking the records. Skywalker's records had always been impressive – now they seem suspiciously so. "It's concerning," he agrees. "Have you informed General Skywalker?"

"I informed the Jedi High Council, but that's as far as it has gone so far," Jinn admits. "If it's something that's real, then there might be a chance we might be able to use it to our advantage – use this… blanket protection Anakin seems to unknowingly enjoy."

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think Skywalker would much enjoy being used like that," Cody comments. Nor would Rex. "Especially unknowingly."

The Jedi smiles. "No, he will likely be told before then – but not before we have confirmed the intel for a fact, if it really is a fact," Jinn says and shakes his head. "Before then, if we tell Anakin… he might take it upon himself to test it out. And if Obi-Wan's information proves false, I'd rather the knowledge didn't come at the cost of my student and his men."

Cody hums in agreement. Testing it himself sounds like something Skywalker would do. Cody almost couldn't blame it either; if he found out that all the successes he had on the field were because the enemy was taking it easy on him, he'd be pissed – he'd set out to test it too.

At least with Kenobi, that's not a concern.

Cody pulls his helmet back on and pretends he didn't just think that. "So, what's our next move, General?"

"Well… we've lost our ship," Jinn says wryly. "After losing half of our ground gear to Obi-Wan, I now lost the rest, and the ship carrying them too. I'm thoroughly in the red, right now."

"They aren't going to assign a new cruiser for you, sir?" Cody asks with some alarm.

"They probably will, but until then I'm unfortunately grounded," Jinn admits and gives him an apologetic look. "There are two options for us now, Commander – either 212th get assigned under another Jedi to serve on their cruiser until further notice… or we will join the 501st on the Resolute."

Cody hums. That will put Jinn, Skywalker and him all on the same ship. "Sir, that's like waving a red flag at Kenobi," he says. "I put in my report that he expressed an interest in seeing Skywalker in battle too. With all three of us on board, there is no way he won't come after us."

Jinn strokes his beard. "Well… maybe we can use that to our advantage, too," he hums thoughtfully. "Hmm."

Cody has a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"So. Getting in bed with the enemy, are we?"

Cody looks up slowly from the rifle he'd been doing basic maintenance on, and meets Rex' eyes over the table. The captain is standing by the doorway, arms crossed, head tilted to the side – wearing a helmet, so Cody can't tell his expression.

It doesn't sound like an accusation – but it doesn't sound particularly teasing either.

"I'm pretty sure my report is still classified," Cody comments and lowers the bolt he's holding. "Who talked?"

Rex snorts and steps into the room, letting the door close at his heel. "I was there when Jinn and Skywalker debriefed. It came up – Greggor filled in the blanks. They were a few rather interesting blanks."

Of course he did. Cody leans back in his chair. "I bet," he says noncommittally, watching Rex's body language carefully.

There'd been some among the 212th who hadn't… approved. Hazing or bullying isn't the way of the GAR, that kind of thing just doesn't stick when the whole military is made of the same men. But there could still be some dissent, and Kenobi's actions had always had the risk of causing a divide. Maybe that was even the man's intention. Single Cody out with special treatment, make his brothers doubt him, all the while planting those seeds of doubt in his mind, in the minds of his men…

It hadn't felt like it, at the time – but Cody couldn't put it past Kenobi. The man might not be a Sith, but he was still a Darksider and an enemy.

Rex stops in front of his desk and Cody meets his eyes through the man's visor levelly. There's a moment of tension, as Cody waits for the verdict. Rex is a Commander too – though he goes by Captain by choice. It's more than enough influence to _count_. If Rex decides to take umbrage with Cody, if he lets his men know it either word by action, if it _spreads…_

The GAR had been designed to be indivisible – they were brothers all. But if a wedge could be driven into the troop morale and unity, it might be here.

Rex takes his helmet off and then says, quiet, "Are you alright, vod?"

Cody arches his brows. "Why wouldn't I be?"

That earns him a flat look. "I work with _Skywalker,_ Cody. I know what it's like when an enemy takes an _interest_ in you," Rex says grimly. "Jinn's report left a lot to be imagined and Greggor didn't know what actually happened, either. You wanna tell me? Or do I need to get you drunk to get it out of you?"

Cody draws a breath and releases it. Thank the Stars, he thinks, and turns back to his rifle. "Nothing happened. We ate dinner, we talked and eventually he let us go. There was no abuse, physical, psychological or _otherwise_. You can relax. The man was… cordial with me."

Rex's brows go up and then come down, and he relaxes a little. "Well, damn," he says. "I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse. Jinn kinda implied that the thing, whatever it is, might still be… a thing."

"Kenobi didn't exactly try to hide his intentions, no," Cody admits and puts the bolt back in its place, checking the load action. "We're setting up a trap for him, to see if we can recapture the Venator he took."

"Yeah, I heard," Rex agrees, still looking at him worriedly. "The Generals are about to begin planning it in detail – that's why I'm here, to get you. Why aren't you there already?"

Cody doesn't answer immediately, finishing putting his gun together. Gun maintenance is his quickest and easiest route to dopamine and serotonin release – it might've been done to them to make them more content and less likely to defect from the army, but they'd all learned to make use of their weird mental triggers in their own ways. And Cody always came up with the best plans, when in the pleasant headspace gun maintenance put him.

Cody checks the trigger and then sets the blaster rifle down in front of him. "I needed to think," he says and stands up.

If they go by the usual standard Jinn-and-Skywalker battle plan here, it will involve a lot of betting against odds, trusting in the Force, and flying by the seat of their pants, and that sort of thing won't work against Kenobi – the man probably counts cards in sabacc.

Cody promised him a proper fight – and he intends to deliver.

* * *

Kenobi is and isn't an easy man to bait into battle. He hadn't been part of the war for long, but his inclinations are pretty obvious for anyone who so much as glances at the man's record so far.

He tends to go where the action is either the most dangerous – or the most interesting. Full fleet on fleet actions, battles at the edges of magnetic storms left behind by recent supernovas – he'd suffered his biggest loss so far at the edge of the Kessler Cloud and going by his jaunty declaration of defeat, losing a separatist dreadnought and several gunships and calling it a "a damn good show," he'd enjoyed it immensely. On ground it's swamps and mountains and other difficult terrain, with carefully calculated troop moments - or full on assaults against entrenched Republic forces. That's how he'd come after Jinn the first time - the 212th had been heavily fortified with all the backup and air support a troop could ask for, and Kenobi had risen gleefully to the challenge.

"So we make things interesting for him and he'll come?" Skywalker muses, arms folded.

"That might be the safest bet," Jinn agrees, considering Cody's suggestion. "Unless other engagements come up at the same time which prove to offer more entertainment, of course. Do you have suggestions, Commander?"

"Several," Cody agrees, and sends a list of planets and locations to holotable – all skirting at the edges of Separatist territories. "Ennack here is on top of the list – it's already being considered as a site for a new forward outpost. Setting up there would definitely be noticed and Kenobi has a clear bias towards ground engagements, a good majority of his action takes place planetside. The terrain on Ennack will make ground engagement very tricky as well – requiring a lot of careful coordination and planning."

And while he and the 212th and most of the 501st engaged Kenobi on the ground, the Jedi could work at sneaking round the back with Rex's men to capture the Negotiator.

"A tricky ground battle is the sort of thing that would appeal to him," Jinn agrees wryly. 

Skywalker hums, bringing up what few maps they have on the planet. "It'll make things difficult for us, too, but if we can set up the battle ground, these canyons will provide ample opportunities for traps. Good bottlenecks too…"

He doesn't sound happy about it, though.

"You have reservations, Anakin?" Jinn asks perceptively.

"It just looks like something that will take a while," Skywalker says and rubs at his neck. "Also from what I've read about this guy, we could probably just issue a public challenge to a duel and have a big old space battle with him – seems like something he might actually go for."

Cody blinks. It – actually might be. A public challenge to a duel sounds just like something Kenobi would be like. But it would also make it Jinn's and Skywalker's battle – Cody's input wouldn't weigh much, if it came down to ships and lightsabers.

"And so risk losing another Jedi cruiser to him, never mind how many men and other vehicles – and the very ship we're looking to get back," Jinn says, stroking his beard. "A hefty price, for arguably less gain than we stand to lose. With Ennack, at least by the end we might have a new forward base to use as a staging ground."

"So, ground battle to cover up the actual goal of recapturing the Negotiator…" Skywalker hums and then looks up to Cody and Rex. "What do you think, Captain?"

Rex glances at Cody and then looks down at the holomap. "Well, I know I speak for most of the men when I say it would be nice to get to set the tone of battle for once," he says wryly. "Not that I don't love the all out action, sir, but setting a trap for a Separatist General would definitely be a change of pace."

Cody gives Rex a glance back, wondering. Skywalker is quiet for a moment, considering the plan. Then he looks up at Jinn. "Alright, I'm sold," he says with a shrug. "Let's inform the Jedi Council and get to work."

Jinn hums in agreement, sharing a look with Cody and then turning away. "Come with me, my old Padawan – there's something you need to know before we do."

Cody and Rex look after them as they go and then Cody looks at Rex thoughtfully. Jinn would be telling Skywalker of what they'd learned, which means the Jedi had confirmed it – the Separatists really were going easy on the 501st and their general. That, on top of Kenobi's interest in Cody and his antagonism towards Jinn...

It's a nice little barrel of fuel they have here, huh? All set to blow.

"Come with me," Cody says to Rex. "There's something I need to tell you too – and fair warning, you're not going to like it."

"Great, just what we need," Rex says and follows him out of the meeting room. "It's got to do with Kenobi, then?"

"Something he let slip during a dinner with my men – a very calculated slip of the tongue, mind you," Cody says with a shake of his head and once they're private and secure, he tells the man what Kenobi had told them.

Rex isn't happy, rapidly going through incredulity and denial and settling down on _outrage_. "How long?" he demands. "How long have the seppies been going easy on us?"

"I don't know, but Kenobi implied it's an old universal order that everyone in charge of the Droid Armies follow," Cody admits, folding his arms. "So it's probably been in play for a long as Skywalker has been your General."

Rex mutters a few pointed, heartfelt curses. "You know how many clankers we've taken down, collectively?" he asks. "How many ships, bases, vehicles? We've been tallying it up, you know – it's a bit of a race, who takes down the most each engagement gets their pick of monthly rations," he says.

"Same as with most every other battalion," Cody agrees. "How many?

"We passed a _half a million_ a couple months back, Skywalker got the whole battalion booze to celebrate. Why the _hell_ would they take it easy on us?"

Cody shakes his head. "I don't know – Kenobi didn't seem to know either," he admits. Nor did Kenobi seem to _care,_ really, except maybe in the sense that he found it against the spirit of the thing.

Rex paces back and forth a little and then looks at Cody. "Who knows about this?"

"Me, the officers of the 212th, Jinn and the Jedi High Council, and whoever they told. Skywalker is being informed right now," Cody adds.

"Damn, he's not going to like it," Rex mutters, pacing back and forth a little more. He shakes his head. "If word of this spreads…"

It definitely wouldn't show the 501st in a good light. At best they'd look like chumps, tools or game pieces in some Separatist plot. At worst… at worst it would cast doubts on Skywalker's and the 501st's loyalties. All their past actions would be called into question, that half of a million benchmark, and all the victories they'd have are now suspect – how much of it is their own prowess and how much did the enemy hand over to them on a silver platter?

It's not an easy position Rex and Skywalker find themselves in. 

"So, you know," Cody says wryly. "Your whole battalion might end up under suspicion of treason sooner or later. Just in case you were hoping for an easy campaign. 

Rex gives him a look. "And you're in bed with the enemy," he says flatly. "You're one to talk, Cody."

Cody just shrugs in answer, noncommittal.

Rex eyes him doubtfully and then sends a very pointed hand gesture his way – it sums the whole thing up rather nicely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started out as crack how did it end up like this
> 
> Also I am writing this and making shit up as I go because I've stopped caring again, so who knows how this will go and where it will end up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howbout a double chapter day?
> 
> Warning for combat and death and injury and implied overuse of stims.

At first, it's business as usual. Or usual for a recon and construction crew anyway – the 212th and the 501st Battalions doesn't usually get charged with the setup of bases and garrisons, so the construction is a little on the unusual side for them _specifically_. But as far as missions to set up base camps go, it's normal. They detonate some charges, clear an area, bring in construction droids, drop in the ready-made room modules to be dug into the cliff sides and hidden, spend days wiring power and setting up defences – it is hard work, and nothing much else than that work happens.

"Never really appreciated the work of recon battalions," Rex mutters, while they figure the division of labour and actually work to get a decent forward base functioning. "Always seemed like an easy job to me, just go in, build some stuff and move out before any action actually happens. But _damn_."

"The various bases and outposts of the Grand Army are the backbone of the war effort," Cody quotes while tinkering with the holomap drawn of the area, trying to figure out where the crew compartments could fit. They have a mess hall and command centre down, those are the biggest rooms, and with the power room set up the general shape of it is already down, but they do actually need to be able to fit in at least a full battalion into the place – which means room for over half a thousand men, preferably more…

"Yeah, I know, everyone knows," Rex mutters. "Still. Not like taking on a bunch of clankers, huh. I think there," he points on the map. "Gates – we can create a portcullis here. If the enemy comes from the south like we think they will, it's a perfect place for an ambush."

Cody hums. "We'll add it to the plan," he says and then adds in the troop compartments to the plan as well – it's starting to look like a real base now, one he wouldn't mind actually staying in for a while. "There are no easy jobs in the GAR," he says then, opening the resources list and dishing out new commands to their troops, to start setting up the new sections. "All of it's hard in it's own way."

"Tell it to the guys stuck in places like Rishi Moon. Or this place," Rex says, shaking his head. "Though I guess every posting seems useless, until someone attacks it. You think Kenobi will really fall for this? We're not really setting up much of a bait here. Out of all the hundreds of forward bases that we have along the front, why'd he come after this one?"

Cody hums. They aren't setting a bait at all – that's the point. "Because _we're_ here. The base is just an excuse to be here, out in the open."

Rex folds his arms and leans against the holotable, looking over the command centre they'd built. "How does it feel like being bait, Cody?" he asks wryly.

"Cosy," Cody answers flatly and gives him a look. "How's Skywalker doing?" he asks pointedly.

Rex grimaces and shakes his head. "On a warpath. He's pissed, second-guessing everything we've done so far – so, whatever reason the Seppies are giving us a free pass, Skywalker didn't know, and he doesn't like it."

Doesn't mean the man didn't have something to do with it, Cody thinks, but doesn't say it. That'd just get him into a fight, probably. "That's good," Cody muses.

"What's to say that's not exactly what Kenobi was after, telling you about the whole thing?"

"It probably was," Cody admits and shrugs, turning back to the hologram. "I'm counting on it being part of Kenobi's plan, actually."

Rex frowns slightly.

"Kenobi obviously told it to us to get some kind of reaction. I don't know what kind of reaction he was after, there's several that might've fit," Cody says. "The obvious one as I see it is this: it causes doubt, reasonable doubt, on the 501st and their leader. As a result, Skywalker and the 501st get put under scrutiny, and probably are given less vital assignments until further notice, to get them out of the main action just in case it turns out they're compromised."

Rex lifts his chin. "Huh," he says, thoughtful.

"Which is what this will hopefully look like," Cody says, shaking his head. "We lost the Negotiator, and Jinn is Skywalker's Master, and my own brush-in with Kenobi makes me suspect… so we're both on short leash and we're supervising influence on you."

Rex gives him a look. "I distinctly remember you _not_ telling any of this to the Generals," he comments.

He hadn't, no. "The point was already made and if General Jinn hasn't figured it out on his own, I'll be disappointed," Cody says, shaking his head. "If I was in charge of the Grand Army, this is exactly what I would've done to all of us – send us away on a decent but ultimately unimportant mission to get us all out of the way. Which is how I hope Kenobi will see this – as his plot coming into fruition."

"… and Skywalker being so obviously pissed makes the whole thing more believable," Rex says in realisation. "Damn."

Cody hums in agreement. Honestly, the timing had been a pretty lucky one as far as that goes.

"Well, here's hoping it works," Rex says, still looking at him thoughtfully, considering. What he thinks he doesn't say, pushing away from the holotable instead. "I'll go take a look at how it goes down in the ravine. Anything I should tell to the boys down there?"

"Tell them to take reasonable breaks and stay hydrated," Cody says simply. "We're still aiming to fight a war here – it won't help any of us if they exhaust themselves in the construction."

"Will do," Rex says and heads out, leaving Cody alone with the holotable.

For a moment Cody eyes the map, imagining the battle that he hopes will take place there, imagining where Kenobi might set down his troops. He'd picked the spot for the base carefully to encourage a possible landing in two different open areas, both which would lead the attacking troops into canyons – and then he'd concentrated the anti-air batteries around the base to discourage air approach. They'd need to set some guns by the selected landing zones too, to make it more believable, but whatever troops would be stationed there would be little more than sacrifices. Automated turrets would have to do…

Cody peers at the canyons, and plots to win.

* * *

It's nearly a week into the construction before they get the first Separatist probe checking the area. Couple days later, a ship flies through the system, and likely spots the Resolute where it's stationed, in orbit. Once they're sure the Separatist have spotted both the ship and the base, Cody begins planning the defence, while Jinn and Skywalker plan for their heist.

"The idea isn't to lose the Resolute as well," Jinn says during one of their later briefings, appearing in hologram. "So as soon as there's a reasonable cause, we will be sending the Resolute out of the system. This will leave the base on ground more open and, we hope, make it seem more inviting."

"And hopefully whatever happens, we won't lose another cruiser," Skywalker agrees, snorting.

"Commander, are the preparations on the ground ready?" Jinn asks, turning to look at Cody.

"We're in as good position as we're likely to get," Cody agrees. The canyons are all but _mined_ with troops and vehicles, and if all else fails they could detonate some of the canyon walls, take out droids in rockslides. "So as long as Kenobi takes the bait, we're good to go."

He just hopes that Skywalker and Jinn make the show on orbit _believable_. Neither is known as the type of general who _runs_ from a fight, so the Resolute's retreat would have to be done carefully. And hopefully in a way that wouldn't prompt Kenobi to make pursuit.

 _If_ Kenobi ever actually attacked.

It all hinges on that if, now, and as confident as Cody is about his plan, it would all be for nothing if Kenobi just decided to ignore them, or some other Separatist General decided to take a shot at them instead. Second guessing himself isn't going to help at this point, and even it turns out that Kenobi isn't coming, then… well, they did get a new base out of it. So it wouldn't be for _nothing_.

The wait is excruciating. It wears on not just Cody's mind, but on those of the men too, the way waiting for the enemy to come to them always does. It's one mental quirk the Kaminoans hadn't managed to tinker into perfection – there's that lingering bit of impatience that makes them all a little more likely to act first and wait never. Lack of actual understanding how the war worked, Cody muses. Kaminoans made them _crave_ for the action, but in reality war is a lot more of _hurry up and wait_ than they were ever taught.

But wait they do. What else is there to do?

Cody checks the scans almost obsessively, checks up on the men, runs them through drills to keep them active and their minds occupied, he keeps track of their generals, and he checks the scans. They are still finishing up the construction here and there, but after they'd finished the fortifications and the traps the progress has slowed to a crawl, to keep up the pretence of construction being their main purpose. Still there's a few detonations, to clear the path for new sections.

In the wait there's restlessness. There's muttering – there are rumours spreading. The whole thing with the 501st and Skywalker was always going to get out somehow, and as much as Cody hates to think it that way, he knows it must be one of his officers who lets it slip. It spreads in whispers, and between Cody being compromised and 501st being under suspicion, it begins breeding contempt between the two companies. It's still quiet, but there's tension, building in the newly built halls.

"How bad is it?" Cody asks quietly, meeting with his officers and trying not to wonder which one of them gave it away.

"If we're not going to see any action soon, someone's going to end up in a fight," Greggor says bluntly. "I don't think it will be serious, it's not that bad yet, just a few scuffles might sort it out… but spirits are running high and everyone's rearing for action."

And this would be their first true case of proper _dissent_ inside the GAR, Cody muses. A trial run on how a mutiny between Clones might go, if it would ever even work. considering how they were made and trained. He's not so sure he's happy about being one of the inciting incidents behind it, either.

"If it gets down to it, it might be best to let them," Rex mutters. "Get it out of everyone's systems."

"If it won't lead to escalation, yes," Cody muses and sighs. "I think we best avoid it if we can. Do you think mixing companies will make it better or worse?"

"Well, separating the companies will _definitely_ make it worse," Rex says and shakes his head. "It's your call – you're the Marshal Commander."

Cody decides to mix the companies a little more, hoping to avoid them banding into camps. The result is their first black eyes and one broken tooth in their brand new infirmary, and everyone resolutely refusing to explain themselves. It's not a good sign.

Then, finally, suddenly, and without warning – it happens. Kenobi comes to them.

Cody could kiss the man for it.

* * *

Eight days they fight in the canyons, after the Resolute had limped off the orbit, and seemingly left the brand new base camp for dead. Eight days of action which, if nothing else, sorts out most of the interpersonal issues between the 501st and 212th – because nothing unites the men like a common enemy, and Kenobi is one hell of an enemy to have. He definitely doesn't make it easy.

Cody sleeps about eight hours the first two days, and less in the days following, keeping himself going on caff, high energy ration bars and stims when he has to – and he keeps Kenobi's forces from simply overtaking them. The man brought with him four companies of droids – twenty droid transports, ten tanks, four spider droids and in total some five thousand battle droids. Against the less than thousand men of combined forces of the 212th and 501st, it's a bit much.

But they were prepared.

The first day Kenobi's forces take their heaviest losses, losing two tanks, three of the four spider droids and some hundreds of droids. The following days are less bombastic, but the action is non-stop in the canyons, as Clones weed out the droid numbers and Cody keeps careful track of Kenobi's tactics. Forward march is a little too simple for the man. There are too many monitor droids on the field for the man to be thinking so simple.

The first attempt at an assault from the rear comes on the fourth day, a squadron of B2 battle droids and rollies, trying to sneak in the dark. The day after Cody's men dealt with it, there's a more concentrated effort in a eastern canyon, and the clones lose ground. It leads into relentless forward assault, into Cody detonating one of the canyons, and Kenobi answering by aiming his tanks' guns at the walls, and demolishing them ahead of the tanks. And in the following there are two different night assaults.

Sixth day, Kenobi is done testing their defences, their numbers – on the sixth day, the tactics that lost them the day last time when General Jinn's troops met Kenobi's on the ground come into play again. The droid groups are broken down to smaller and smaller numbers, harder to round up – they begin climbing the canyon walls because apparently Kenobi had equipped his troops with ladders – they start using smoke screens and blasting the clones with more and more flash bombs, they make faints, pretending to go down one way and going the other – by the night, Kenobi has _driller droids_ amids his troops and he's just cutting through the canyon.

And the damned thing is, droids don't need sleep – clones do. And there's only so many of them.

Cody mixes stims into his caff and then arms the construction droids they'd used to build the base, equips his troops with charges meant to clear the canyons and plasma cutters, and takes the fight into the newly made tunnels. It gets ugly, they lose men to tunnel collapses – but they stop Kenobi's advance, too.

That night, Skywalker and Jinn finally manage to make their attempt at the Negotiator, high on orbit. They have the ship's engines down by the end of the day, and though they don't manage to take the ship, they definitely cripple it.

Seventh day, Kenobi contacts Cody.

"A _trap_ , my dear? Just for me?" he asks as a way of greeting, sounding thrilled about it.

"Just for you," Cody answers, full of irritable, anxious energy of the sleep deprived. "How did I do?"

"Oh, full marks, my dear Commander, you did _great_ , I didn't expect a thing. There's just the one thing," Kenobi says, smiling wider and wider. "We're not done yet – and the Jedi couldn't take my ship. I'll have it up and running soon enough – and then I'm coming to you and we're _finishing_ this."

Cody grits his teeth, trying to ignore the pleased shiver running up his spine, and thinks he might be grinning back. "Alright then, I'll be waiting," he says, recklessly brave. "Come and get me."

Which is objectively the worst thing to say in the situation he's in, but it's out there, and Kenobi's eyes are shining with determination even through the hologram. He's smile grows smaller, and somehow so much more intent for it.

"Oh, I will," he says. "Prepare yourself, my dear. You're in for a _ride_."

* * *

The Jedi join them just before the final battle, both of them a little more singed than before, but despite what Kenobi said, they're victorious. "The Negotiator is going nowhere," Skywalker says with satisfaction. "We crippled the hyperspace thrusters – the only way it's getting here is by sublight engines, and we know how those work on a Venator."

"We still might need to take the ship on in a battle, of course, and it will not be easy. They've retrofitted it for droids, and equipped it with Separatist guns," Jinn muses grimly. "But if all else fails, Master Windu's fleet isn't that far off – with a few more ships to back up the Resolute, and Kenobi will no doubt see the reason and surrender."

"Be easier for everyone if we could take him down here, now that he's planetside, and get him to surrender the Ship to us without us having to fight for it," Skywalker says and looks at Cody. "How is it going here?"

"We're down to the final hours, I think," Cody says and motions them to the holotable. "We've taken out the majority of the droid forces, but they still have two tanks and the troop carriers are holding the rear of their advancing forces – they're making their approach through here," he points to destroyed part of the map, where the canyons had all but been levelled. "We've lost the AT-TEs but we still have walkers enough to make it count – and the droid numbers are down. They'll be here in a couple of hours and I think it's going to come to a final push – all or nothing."

"Now that you're here, sirs, it should definitely even out the remaining numbers," Rex agrees, grimacing. "We've taken out most of the droids, but we've lost a lot of good men too."

"Then let's make it worth something and capture Kenobi along with the Negotiator," Skywalker says, looking up to Jinn who's gazing into distance, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "Master?"

"Hm," Jinn answer. "Let's be cautious. Obi-Wan might still have something up his sleeve."

Cody would be disappointed if he didn't.

They've already set up a defensive line around the base, and the remaining clones are ready to defend it to the last if they had to. The Jedi enforce the line by adding new barricades, lifting broken boulders to form new cover, and to make roadblocks to stop the tanks from advancing.

And then the droids are upon them – and in the midst of them, there's Kenobi, dressed from head to toe in polished black armour, with bright red lightsaber in one hand and a rattling energy shield in the other. It's like a scene from those old Mandalorian war holos Jango used to show them, as the man steps to meet Jinn and Skywalker in combat.

Cody wishes he had more time to _watch_ it happen. The glimpses he sees of the battle in between taking out droids and pulling brothers from the fire are magnificent.

Kenobi doesn't have Jinn's and Skywalker's polish when he fights with a lightsaber – whatever _form_ of lightsaber combat the man had ever known he'd probably lost years ago. There's well practiced fluency of the accustomed fighter, though – of a trained warrior. He might not know jedi lightsaber forms, but damn if he doesn't know how to fight.

Cody thinks it throws Jinn and Skywalker off a little, how completely different Kenobi's fighting style is, his use of an energy shield and armour, the raw form he utilises. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that it's not just durasteel the man wears – it's _beskar_.

Jinn falls out of the combat first, with Kenobi's lightsaber singeing him on the knee and nearly taking it out. As he backs away from the combat and the medics take him off the field, Kenobi focuses all his attention on Skywalker, and the rattling of their lightsabers and Kenobi's shield is so loud it almost drowns out the blaster fire. Between their fight, dozens of droids and a handful of clones lose their lives, too. Skywalker takes out Kenobi's shield, scouring it right off his arm, and for a moment it looks like he might be able to overpower the man, his well honed form easily superior to Kenobi's less refined combat style.

Around them, the clones win over the droids, and the tanks and armoured droid carriers are taken out – leaving it down to Kenobi and Skywalker. Kenobi isn't beaten _yet_ – but his forces are gone by now. It's only a matter of time.

"Ready to surrender?" Skywalker grunts, trying to overpower the man with pure strength.

"Not to _you_ ," Kenobi says and pushes him back with the force, disengaging their lightsabers. "When I surrender, it will be to the man who _actually_ beat me here. I will only surrender to Marshal Commander Cody."

Skywalker hesitates, glancing around, and Cody steps forward, watching Kenobi who's lowering the lightsaber, still lit, but no longer a threat.

"So you do surrender?" Cody asks.

"Mm-hmm," Kenobi answers, tilting his head slightly, his black armour gleaming in stark contrast against the white clone armours all around him. "Would it be too much to ask for a duel before I do? I'm beaten, I can see that, you've demolished my forces quite thoroughly – but I came here to fight _you_ , my dear Commander. Single combat, hand to hand. What do you say?"

Skywalker arches a brow. "Seriously?" he mutters and then looks at Cody. Everyone is looking at Cody, the men of the 212th and the 501st both, with new marks on their armour, new losses in their midst, new victory under their belt. "You don't have to," Skywalker says, completely missing the point. "The man is already beaten, there's no reason for you to do this."

Cody thinks of all the things Kenobi might be intending here, and he has a growing suspicion that they're _still_ playing into the man's hand somehow. He doesn't care – because Kenobi had issued a challenge of a kind _no one_ issues to a clone, and sure, Cody could just ignore it… but not without losing something in doing so. This is _important_.

And damn if Cody isn't itching to fight the man.

"I accept your challenge," he says, and hands his rifle to Rex, who accepts automatically.

Kenobi turns off his lightsaber and tosses it lightly to Skywalker, who catches it smoothly, if somewhat irritably. Kenobi completely ignores the clearly annoyed Jedi after, simply stepping around him and towards Cody. Even with the armour between, his and Cody's, the clone can feel his gaze, blazing hot with intent.

"You did _beautifully_ , Cody," he says almost proudly, while they meet in an invisible fighting ring, the clones falling into formation all around them. "So few keep up with me on the battlefield, but you did – you countered every move I made to absolute satisfaction. Well _done_ , my dear. You should be proud."

"Your droids killed a lot of my men," Cody says through gritted teeth and puts up his fists. "You don't get to _praise_ me."

Kenobi laughs, delighted, and shifts into position. "You invited me into this fight," he says. "Darling, the honour of it is _all yours_."

There's more being said between the lines, meanings packed into those few words that will probably come back to bite them all in the ass later, but Cody is tired and furious and full of emotion he can't even begin to parse, and Kenobi is right there, ready to fight him. So that is what they do.

And like Kenobi had no doubt hoped for... it is absolutely glorious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that for foreplay.
> 
> Also just to be clear, Kenobi's armour isn't Mandalorian armour - he just got the materials from them.


	5. Chapter 5

When Cody catches whoever recorded the holo of him and Kenobi fighting, he will demand the original high resolution version and then put the man on latrine duty for a week, at least. That won't stop it from spreading, of course, it already has – he's got messages from Wolffe and Ponds already, so they've seen it. There's no way to stop it.

The holo captured the fight between Kenobi, Jinn and Skywalker partially – and all of Cody's fight with the man. The angle isn't perfect, they moved out of the recorder view once, but it still captures the essentials closely enough. The hits, the kicks, the eventual tumbles, Cody's helmet being knocked off and Kenobi throwing his aside immediately to keep things _fair_ , and the final wrestle before Cody managed to pin panting Kenobi to the ground, much to the elation of his men all around them. The holo captured Kenobi's pleases leer perfectly, as Cody put an arm on his throat and told him to yield.

"If I could get this framed, damn," Waxer mutters, freezing the holo into a point where Cody kicked the Separatist General across the chest and nearly sent him flying. "You think I could scrounge up the tradeables to have this painted?"

"Brush could do it, maybe," Boil comments. "Make a decal out of it, maybe."

Cody pretends not to hear while trying to scan through Negotiator's systems for everything Kenobi had tampered with. Overall the ship is in decent condition, Kenobi had taken good care of her and she's is more than space worthy. But he had also bastardised all their computer systems to function with a droid crew, and as much as Skywalker likes to pretend otherwise, Separatist encryption beats Republic slicers, six times out of ten. They still haven't gotten into Kenobi's databases and so there's no knowing if the man had booby trapped the ship, not yet.

That's why they only have a tech team and a single squad on board the Negotiator – the rest are on the Resolute again, just in case Kenobi has rigged a self-destruct. But at least with the man's surrender order, they managed to take back the ship without having to blast any more holes into it, and all the droids could be rounded up and shut off without issue. It had been the only _easy_ part in all of this so far, but it was still something.

"This will definitely shut everyone up, if they dare to think the Commander is going soft on Kenobi," Waxer says gleefully. "I mean, we all saw his face."

Cody's fingers tighten around the datapad and then relax.

"I don't know," Boil mutters. "Guy like that, it might've been a bit like se-"

"You know I can _hear you_?" Cody says with gritted teeth.

"We know," Waxer agrees cheerfully and shows him the holoprojector. "Look at this, Commander – wouldn't you like a permanent picture of this?"

Cody looks and sighs. He and Kenobi flying at each other, fist at ready – it does look a little like a shot from a poster. "We have work to do – stop goofing around," he says and turns back to the datapad.

"We actually don't – mandated post action downtime," Waxer says and shifts through other select bits of the recording – he has a whole selection of frames it looks like.

"There's one thing I don't get about this, Commander," Boil comments. "Every battle is about resources, ultimately, right – that's what they taught us in Kamino. Be it physical or symbolic, every battle is about either gaining something useful – or protecting something you already have and can't stand to lose. We went into this one to get back the Negotiator – what was Kenobi after? Aside from a good fight."

Cody looks up and hums. That is a good question. "Influence, perhaps," he says, a little uncertain. "Beating Skywalker and Jinn in combat would definitely give him a boost in reputation."

"Except he didn't, and in the end he just wanted to fight you, Commander," Boil points out. "And I think he might've been happier losing than winning."

Yes, Cody had noticed that too – and he had been firmly trying not to think about it while thinking about almost _nothing else_. "There's no doubt it was a ploy of some kind," Cody says, shaking his head. "But the result is the same – we crushed his forces, captured the ship he stole, and he's in inhibitor cuffs in the brig right now. Whatever he wanted, we still won."

"And he can't stop _grinning_ about it," comes from behind, and Cody looks over his shoulder to see Skywalker walking into the mess hall. "At ease," he says when the clones scattered around make to stand at attention. "Commander, I hate to interrupt your break, Force knows you probably need it after the action you've had… but Kenobi is being a _nuisance_ and he refuses to talk to us."

Cody lowers the datapad. "Ah," he says and smothers the urge to sigh. Kenobi would talk to him, they all know it. Damn it. "Anything in particular you want to know?" he says, standing up.

"What he's done to the Negotiator to start with," Skywalker says. "Qui-Gon thinks we might be able to make a deal with Kenobi, too, it's apparently a thing he does, might get us some intelligence on the Separatist side… but he needs to start talking first. Anything else you can get out of him would be appreciated too."

"I'll see what I can do, General," Cody says and tucks the datapad under his arm. "I'll head there right away."

"Can we record it?" Waxer asks hopefully and Cody ignores him, pulling his helmet on and heading out.

* * *

Kenobi had been stripped of armour, of course, Cody had known he would be. Even if the beskar armour lacked the sort of offensive capabilities clone and Mandalorian armour tended to come with, it was still _beskar_ , and if the man managed to escape having the armour at hand would make things that much easier for him. It was also probably worth more than the Negotiator itself, which was… a thing.

But still – seeing the man lounging about behind a force field in the brig, dressed only in a skin tight undersuit much like the ones Clones wear under their armour… Cody hadn't been prepared for it. Just like clone thermals, the damn things leave _little_ to imagination.

"Well hello there, Commander," Kenobi says, spotting him, smiling warmly. He still has the cut on his lip and across his brow where Cody's gloves had cut him – and the redness around his cheekbone is darkening into a vivid bruise. It looks painful, when he smiles. "I've been expecting you."

"Of course you have," Cody says with a sigh and steps up to the force field. "How are you liking your accommodations?"

"It's not the _most_ comfortable prison cell I've ever been in, but it's one of the cleanest, I thank you for that. And personal fresher is appreciated," he nods to the little cubby.

"Been in a prison a lot, then?"

Kenobi just grins and sits up and he _definitely_ makes a show of it, arching his back and stretching his shackled arms, just to show off his body. Cody grits his teeth behind his helmet, and tries not to flush at the sight.

"So," Kenobi says, standing up and _sashaying_ towards him. "How are the Republic interrogation tactics these days?"

"Well, they generally don't involve torture, unlike Separatist ones," Cody answers.

"Oh, you sweet soul – of course they do," Kenobi says, shaking his head. "There's always torture when there's war, there are always atrocities, and every side commits them no matter how hard they try to deny it. I bet there are clones who are _trained_ in torture – you just don't know about them, because you're on public level of the army, in the proud and beautiful frontlines shown off to the masses, shining example of Republic's grace and goodness... covering the dirty, _dirty_ secrets underneath."

Cody scoffs at that, though he can't deny that it's probably the truth. He's seen Fox enough many times to know that there's a very dark underbelly to the GAR, one he's been happy ignoring. "Well, you won't get any _here_. Whatever happens to you later is out of my hands."

"No intelligence officers on board, then? I wondered," Kenobi says and leans his back against the doorframe, examining his nails.

Cody watches him, trying to read his body language. The man is way too much at ease. "What did you do to the Negotiator?"

"Retrofitted it for my use," Kenobi answers with a shrug and sighs. "I was really hoping to keep her for longer. They're beautiful ships, the Venators. It's a shame."

"I bet," Cody says. "Are there any traps, did you rig a self destruct?"

Kenobi gives him a look. "Of course I did," he says and shakes his head.

"And here I thought you didn't approve the sabotage of captured equipment – or is that a rule that only applies to your enemies?"

"Darling, it's still a _war_. I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But a self destruct is a last resort sort of thing _in action_ – and you notice I didn't trigger it after I lost, when I could have," Kenobi says and signs, looking away. "Of course, all is fair in love and war, but it's just so _unsporting_ , don't you think, to declare defeat and then turn around for a final slap like that."

Cody frowns. "So, the ship won't blow up under us?"

Kenobi shakes his head. "The way this war is fought _bothers me,_ you know," he admits, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall. "It's so wasteful, on both sides – so much equipment flat out destroyed when it could be captured and re-purposed. No one even _tries_ to claim and make use of enemy assets in this war – have you noticed that? Sure, you fight over bases and planets and people, but not over ships or tanks or troops – the very _essence_ of war, the machinery that makes it, is treated as _expendable_. It goes against all my instincts."

Cody blinks behind his helmet. _You_? The man is talking about the war like he's not actually part of it. "It's war, things get broken."

"War is an engine that runs on finite resources, same as everything else," Kenobi says, shaking his head. "Everything has to be financed, everything has a cost, both in will, in emotion, and in money. The winner is the one who manages their resources the best, and stretches them the farthest – and nobody is doing that here."

Rolling the words in his mind, Cody sets them aside to be previewed later – they're calculated, the same as everything else Kenobi does, and there's a reason for them. But that's not why Cody is here. "You've refused to negotiate the terms of your surrender," Cody says. "Will you negotiate with me?"

Kenobi tilts his head, opening his eyes, and smiles, his gaze scalding. "There's no point. There is nothing I can give that you can use," he says almost apologetically. "Unfortunately, I am a rather worthless prisoner."

"You're a separatist General," Cody points out. "You have intelligence."

"I'm a late hire, hardly trusted with important information. You might have noticed, but I had to capture an enemy ship to use as my own," Kenobi points out, shrugging. "And even if I had intelligence to give, I wouldn't, not while the war is still going. That's just not how this works."

"Tell me how does it work, then – what are your rules of engagement, General Kenobi?" Cody says flatly. "And what the hell do you even get out of this?"

Kenobi grins, eyes brightening. "My rules of engagement. Hm. Do you have, say, four hours?" he asks, turning so that he's leaning only his shoulder into the doorframe – crossing his ankles and tilting his hips slightly, with obvious intent.

"I have all the time I need," Cody says simply and doesn't let his eyes wander.

"Then pull up a chair, Commander," Kenobi says, chuckling. "This will take a while."

* * *

"We won't get much useful intelligence out of him," Cody reports later, reviewing the list he'd written on all the points Kenobi had covered. The man had _opinions_ about the war and a lot of them boiled down to _everyone is wasting perfectly good resources and Kenobi takes offence at that sort of thing_. "He's not in this war because he believes in Separatist cause, and he hasn't exactly made efforts to learn much about it, from what I could tell. He's here just for the war."

"Which we knew," Jinn muses, stroking his beard. "What did he say about the Negotiator?"

"Not much. There's a self destruct, but it's not in the spirit of the thing to blow it up now that he's lost," Cody shrugs. "I think we can make a deal with him to give us the codes for the Negotiator's new computer system, at least, but I'm not sure you'd like what he probably wants in return."

"We're not letting him go, not after all this," Skywalker says firmly.

Cody hums. He's not sure Kenobi would even want to be released, not yet anyway. The man is exactly where he wants to be.

Jinn looks at him, and seems to see what he's thinking. "What do you think Kenobi wants?"

"The same thing he gave us, sir," Cody says, shaking his head. "Cordial treatment… and dinners with the officers."

The Jedi both stare at him. "Dinners with officers?" Skywalker repeats incredulously. "He's willing to give up the last hold he has on the Negotiator… to have dinner with us?"

Cody shrugs. "No sir – he wants to share meals with the _clone_ officers," he says apologetically. "Apparently we speak his language, sir. It's obvious he likes us."

Skywalker scoffs, though he looks more puzzled than insulted. "What a _weird_ guy."

Jinn hums. "It's likely a ploy of some kind. Attempted manipulation of troop morale, maybe," he says grimly. "Obi-Wan is very good at that certain brand of psychological warfare, turning his enemies against each other, sowing doubt among them – inciting them into defection, even mutiny."

Cody hums in agreement and says nothing – doesn't point out how far along Kenobi already is on that particular campaign.

"So we deny him," Skywalker says slowly, "and then spend who knows how long going through the Negotiator with a fine tooth comb to find all the bombs planted and all the systems he'd bastardized… or we let him, and watch him do whatever he is trying to do to our men."

Jinn looks at Cody, his eyes deeply worried. "Do you think the clone troopers could be incited to mutiny, Commander?" he asks bluntly.

Cody hesitates, but... with a direct question he can't obfuscate. "If there is, then Kenobi is the man who will figure out how," he says. "If he already hasn't."

"Our men are _loyal_ ," Skywalker says sharply. "Rex would _never_ , none of the 501st would."

Cody looks at him levelly. "Sir, the 501st is already under suspicion of being compromised, sir," he points out. "And Kenobi did it with nothing but an offhand comment during dinner. It doesn't matter if we would, sir – he's making it seem _possible_ , and that's bad enough."

And then there is him, and what Kenobi has done to him, for him – the position he's put Cody in. Cody hasn't figured it out yet, everything it will change and what it really means but… he can already see the effect how the men, both from 212th and 501st, treat him. He'd gone from one of the most suspicious clones into the most well respected in a single battle – Kenobi had made him _special_ by crediting the entire action to him, and then putting the final victory in his name. He'd given Cody something clones aren't supposed to get – _glory_.

Really, he'd all but field promoted Cody – and Cody isn't sure the Jedi actually realise it. And damn it all, someone had caught the whole thing on holo and already spread it beyond the 501st and the 212th.

"So we should decline his request," Jinn says with a sigh. "We can't risk him trying to manipulate the GAR like that."

"We need the Negotiator though," Skywalker says and considers it. "Maybe we can accept, but with a twist. Let him have his dinners with the officers – but we're officers too. With us there, there is no way he can manipulate our men – and we might learn something too."

Cody smothers the urge to sigh, as Jinn gets that look in his eyes which means he's pretending to be considering it but has in reality already made his decision.

It's going to be a disaster.

* * *

Kenobi gives them the keys to the Negotiator, and they have dinner in one of the finest meeting rooms of the Resolute, turned into a dining room in a hurry. The food selection is nowhere near as fine as the high cuisine Kenobi treated Cody's officers with, but it's finer than your usual field rations. There's no wine, though, thank for small mercies.

There is something worse though – Kenobi, still in his skin tight undersuit, his wrists still cuffed with Force inhibitors, offering them a sheepish smile and apology for being so _under-dressed_. "I don't exactly have access to my wardrobe here, " he says, deeply amused and completely indecent.

"It's fine, sir, nothing we haven't seen before," Fives says dryly, which almost makes it worse. The difference between Kenobi in his slacks and the Jedi in their abundant robes is so stark – it makes Kenobi more akin to a clone, than them.

It's absolutely intentional, Cody realises glumly. Kenobi could've asked to have his clothes brought in from the Negotiator any time, the Jedi would've allowed it… but he hadn't, he might've even declined the offer, just for this – just to make himself that small bit more like with the clones, rather than their fine Jedi generals, to make himself seem humble.

They sit down, the Jedi open the meal, and Skywalker opens dinner talk by asking rather bluntly and pointedly, "So, why did you join the Separatists, Kenobi?"

"The incentives were enticing," Kenobi answers, darkly humorous. "As was the enemy."

Skywalker hums, frowning. "So you hate the Republic?"

"I don't _hate_ the Republic, I don't really care for it one way or the other. But they were the ones with the better army," Kenobi says and looks at the clones – and deftly takes charge of the dinner. "It really has been a pleasure fighting you all – I heard some of you are old hands at this. You fought in the First Battle of Geonosis, didn't you, Commander Rex?"

Cody needs to have a talk with the prison guards – someone's definitely been chatting with Kenobi while the man was in their hold.

"Er, yes sir." Rex says, glancing at Jinn and Skywalker. "I was – me and my squad at the time were among the first to land on Geonosis."

"I obviously wasn't part of the war then, I'm something of a newcomer," Kenobi says, ignoring Skywalker's cleared throat entirely. "I'd love to hear about it – one of the most famous battles in the war, the opening salvo of the _Clone Wars_. It must've been… _incredible_."

Cody almost feels sorry for the Rex – he knows what it feels like being under that _interest_ and it's not easy. Rex glances at his General for guidance and somewhat irritably Skywalker nods, and so Rex launches into a summarised re-telling of the first days of the war.

Cody sips his water, watching Rex and Kenobi, and wonders if Kenobi is trying to make him jealous. He might be – there's that enthralled look on the man's face Cody's only seen aimed at him so far, and that terrible, flattering fascination… it's obviously having an effect on not only Rex, but all the clones. To have someone so engrossed with their opinions and experiences, it's intoxicating.

From Geonosis the discussion moves smoothly to other battles, Kenobi teasing anecdotes out of Rex's officers – and the Jedi just _let him._ Worse yet, Skywalker letting himself be swept away by the clones' stories the same as the rest of them, while Jinn sits back and just observes, his eyes distant, thoughtful, and somewhat full of regret. Neither of them even try to stop Kenobi – don't they see what the man is doing?

As Cody listens in mounting dismay, he definitely sees it – the way Kenobi peppers his replies, his impressed exclamations, with _praise_. "That sounds incredible," he says, "What a clever tactic," he muses, "I would have loved to see that in action," he breathes, and it _hits_ home every damn time. The clones around the table all loosen up, they lean in, they let their guards down – Kenobi deftly manoeuvres them all into open honesty and encourages it with his sincere and definitely manipulative appreciation. So easily that no one seems to even notice it, Kenobi makes them _like_ him.

Even Skywalker ends up relaxing towards the end – even _he_ starts sharing stories about his part engagements, leaning in to Kenobi's shamelessly flattering interest like a starved plant reaching for the rain and – Stars, Skywalker probably has a thing for praise too, doesn't he?

Cody meets Jinn's eyes over the table, and can see that at least one man in the table seems to see what's happening. Jinn looks a little grim and somewhat defeated – and then, damningly, with no one paying him much attention, he dismisses himself from the table with a mumbled word about his aching knee. Cody hesitates and then pushes his chair back and rises to his feet – shamelessly gratified that it brings Kenobi's attention immediately to him.

"Leaving already, Commander?" he asks, his eyes sharpening.

"Fresher. I'll be right back," Cody says, and follows his General out. Jinn, spotting him, slows his already limping pace and then stops.

"Sir," Cody says. "Are you going to just let him do that?"

Jinn looks away, a distant look in his eyes and then sighs. "He would've been a wonderful Jedi, wouldn't he?" he says, regretfully. "And an incredible negotiator."

"General, he is wrapping the leadership of both the 501st and the 212th around his damned pinky – are you just going to let him?" Cody demands.

Jinn is quiet for a moment, and Cody can almost feel all the damned regrets the old Jedi carries, all the doubts he has. Jinn has never been comfortable with command – he carries it well, but not willingly. It's probably the reason why Cody and Jinn have never gotten as close as Rex and Skywalker did almost instantly – Jinn is still keeping himself a little apart from the men, and from him. The man is still clinging to the trappings of a peacekeeper, and peace negotiator.

"I have never felt the men… be like that," Jinn admits quietly. "In less than half an hour, Obi-Wan made every man in that table _content_. Their presences _lit_ up in the Force. It was as though suddenly a shadow had passed, and the sun was shining upon all of them for once."

Cody swallows. "Sir," he says, rather insistently. "He's a darksider! It's a _ploy_ , you must see that."

"I do," Jinn says. "It's clear enough what Obi-Wan is doing – and he's doing it well. But…" he trails away and then he shakes his head, looking troubled. Then he shakes his head. "It might be manipulation on Obi-Wan's part, but I think we can afford one night when the men can be proud and happy for their accomplishments."

Cody grits his teeth. "If this is some kind of self flagellation over letting Kenobi slip through your fingers when he was young, sir, we _can't afford it_ ," he says, wincing a little at the blunt cruelty of it, but it's the truth. "That man is going to seduce your forces to the dark side if you let him."

Jinn sighs. "The sad fact to the matter is, Cody – you're already of the dark side," Jinn comments and Cody can feel his spine straightening in shock. Jinn continues, his voice heavy. "This whole war is. It's us Jedi… who are out of place here."

Cody watches him limp away, a cool realisation washing over him as he wonders how the hell had Kenobi compromised _Jinn_ , and when had that even happened. In space when they were breaking into the Negotiator to sabotage the engines? It probably doesn't even matter – but somewhere along the way Kenobi had gotten into Jinn's head, and Cody has no idea how. Or hell, it might have been _Dooku_. Jinn is a Jedi flanked by two darksiders – his former master, now a Sith, on one side, and his former student, now a dark warlord, on the other.

"Osik," Cody mutters vehemently, and heads back to the dining room, to see the unmitigated disaster to the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **You** get compromised and **you** get compromised and **you** get...
> 
> Also Skywalker joins the praise kink parade. I mean. What with how Palpatine manipulated the guy...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some very explicit smuttiness in this one

On the way to Coruscant, Kenobi gets the chance to dine with the officer several times. Cody is there every time, enjoying the dubious pleasure of having front row seats to watching as Kenobi shamelessly charms everyone and earns himself the kind of leniency they _really_ shouldn't be affording the man. He gets his clothes delivered from the Negotiator, even some of his personal effects after they'd been screened – and according to Rex, Skywalker had promised to _take care_ of the man's armour and weaponry and make sure they didn't fall through the gaps. Which was as good as saying he would be holding onto them until Kenobi inevitably escaped.

If Skywalker realises that… Cody actually isn't sure if he even wants to now. Because if Skywalker _isn't_ aware of it, then… then the man is a lot more gullible than Cody had ever realised. And if the man _is_ aware, well, that's worse, isn't it? And Jinn in the meantime has stopped going to the dinners entirely, declining them politely – saying that he prefers spending his evenings in meditation, and that he trusts Skywalker to handle things. Which Skywalker, Cody would like to yell at someone, anyone, _is not doing_.

For Stars' sake, Skywalker even gave Kenobi a _tour_ on the Resolute before their latest dinner, just to show him how a _real_ Jedi cruiser is actually managed. As if Kenobi hadn't been making comments about it just for that specific purpose.

"He's a charismatic bastard, I'll give him that," Rex mutters after the latest of their _dinners_ , while he and Cody head for the training halls. "Pity he's on the enemy side – would've made one hell of a General for ours."

Cody sighs. "I think that's the point," he mutters and runs a hand over his face. He's irritable – been getting more and more so as the dinners had progressed. Kenobi keeps pointedly _ignoring_ him during them, favouring Rex and Skywalker and the 501st in general with more and more of his attention and heaps of his flattering encouragement. And Cody knows why he's doing it, he can tell why, it's just another manipulation tactic – driving that wedge in deeper and deeper. But – _haar'chak_.

It's making Cody jealous, which only makes him more annoyed with the whole thing, because it means whatever Kenobi is doing, it's working on him too, even though he _knows_ exactly what the man is doing. Kenobi still sends him those looks, alone he's all implication and suggestion and invitation, but in company…

Rex, probably seeing that in his face, offers him a slap on the shoulder. "Come on," he says, amused as he opens the doors to the vacant training hall. "We'll go a few rounds, get it outta your system."

"I'm fine," Cody says automatically.

"Uh-huh, that's why you kept glaring at everyone at dinner, because you're fine," Rex agrees, taking off the uniform jacket he'd worn to the dinner, and loosening the clasps of his boots. "Come on. Let's fight."

They fight, and it's… satisfying, the way a good spar is. Rex is good, they're almost equal in hand to hand, but Rex is more of a shooter than he's a physical fighter, while Cody leans more into it, throwing all in. The point isn't really to _win_ , it's a _spar_ not a challenge, but Cody can't help but try, because he keeps thinking of the smile Kenobi gave to the man, and it's making him _want_ to kick Rex's ass just on principle. Just to prove a point.

It's nothing like fighting Kenobi, though. The whole thing is stupid, letting himself get so affected is idiotic and Cody knows it – Kenobi's gotten under his skin, that's all there is to it… but still.

At least Rex is a good sport about it, taking his defeat with grace and laugh and a pointed, "You got some _issues_ to work out, huh, vod."

Cody sits down beside him on the mat and scoffs, more at himself than at Rex, or even at Kenobi. "Two days," he says and, at Rex's quizzical noise from the floor, clarifies. "Two days until Coruscant, and he still hasn't tried to escape, not once – and we've definitely given him more than a few opportunities."

Rex hums. "We've been in hyperspace, where could he go?"

"Anywhere. He could cripple the ship, drop us out of hyperspace, grab a fighter and go," Cody says, shaking his head.

"Cody, there's hundreds of clones between him and the fighter bay," Rex points out. "And Skywalker is sitting on his armour and weapons. There's Jinn, too. Even Kenobi can't take out all of us."

Cody leans his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands and twisting his fingers in irritation. "He's a Force user and a darksider – he could make a serious go at it. But he hasn't even _tried_."

Which means this is where Kenobi wants to be – means he wants to be taken to Coruscant. Cody has been trying to figure out why – Kenobi has to have a plan. Would he try to escape in Coruscant, vanish into the masses? Maybe. If not, then he'll probably be rushed through a trial and sent into prison, if he's not outright _executed_ for whatever trumped up crimes they'd throw at him just for being a Separatist. That can't be his plan. Right?

Rex watches him from where he's lying on the floor, and then sits up with a groan, rubbing at his stomach where Cody had kicked him. "You know, charming or not, Kenobi's still the enemy," he points out carefully. "He attacked us, he killed a lot of our brothers – you shouldn't be _worrying_ about him."

"I'm not worried about _him_ , I'm worried about what he's _planning_ , what he'll _do_ ," Cody snaps.

"Yeah, sure you are. In two days it's out of our hands," Rex points out. "In two days he's out of this ship and after that he's other people's problem. In two days…"

Cody frowns at the back wall of the hall and says nothing – but he hears the words anyway. In two days, Kenobi would be beyond his reach, and he probably wouldn't see the man ever again. Unless, of course, the man had a plan to eventually escape – and he must have a plan, because the alternative is that he doesn't, and then… then what?

Then it's just… over?

Rex scratches at his scalp, watching him warily. "Right," he says then. "If you wanted to have a _private_ chat with the guy, it could be arranged."

Cody turns to him, frowning.

"Obviously it'll have to be in the cell," Rex says, as if he isn't suggesting something so highly… unusual. "And under guard. But if you need to work this out with the man himself and get it over and done with, then I can rotate some trustworthy men into the brig and see about having the surveillance looped for, say… couple of hours."

"Rex," Cody says, his voice low, warning.

Rex looks back at him, brows arched and then stands up. "Midnight tonight, take it or leave it," he says and stretches. "Either way, sort this out before I have to report you in."

Cody frowns after him. Report _him in_ when it's the 501st and Skywalker who are eating up everything Kenobi is laying down for them? Cody opens his mouth to snap something back at Rex, but then bites his tongue on it, as the doors to the training hall slide open and Rex heads for the fresher. Gritting his teeth, Cody looks down at the mats instead and tries to think clearly.

Kenobi has been winding him up, he _knows that_. He shouldn't be letting it get to him, he knows that too. But…

 _Damn it_.

* * *

Midnight, Cody nods the guards stationed by the entrance to the brig, and steps past them without a word. The lights have been turned for the night rotation in the block, which probably is why Rex had gone for the night time – inactivity is easier to fake, when the active parties are supposed to be asleep. Thank the force Kenobi is their only prisoner currently, too – there'd be no witnesses.

It's a surprise to find the man himself asleep, tucked under a standard issue blanket with a long dark coat over it for extra warmth. It's humanising in a way Cody hadn't expected, to see him in that small way vulnerable – to know that, even with his plotting and emotional manipulation, even Obi-Wan Kenobi has weaknesses and apparently finds the standard 15 degrees on board a ship to be _cold_. The man is curled up a little, too, knees tucked closer to the body, in a near foetal position, facing away from the forcefield.

Cody stares at his back long enough for it to wake the man, and with a soft, sleepy noise, Kenobi lifts his head slightly to look over his shoulder. Cody can tell the moment Kenobi recognizes him, there's a little jerk before he hums deeper in his throat and then stretches. It's a _manoeuvre_ and a half, as the man turns, arching his body under the blanket and the coat, letting one knee slip out from under them. He's wearing his undersuit, which takes away some from the move, but it's still designed to entice.

"Well then, my dear," Kenobi says, his voice a throaty purr with sleepy relaxation. "What can I do for you in dark hours of the night, hm? And without armour, too, hmm…"

"We'll reach Coruscant the day after tomorrow," Cody says, keeping his voice forcibly level, trying to ignore the way Kenobi rakes his eyes up and down. "You'll be handed over to the Coruscant Guard for interrogation and eventually for trial. Good case scenario, you go to prison. Bad case…"

Kenobi smiles and shifts, worming his arms under his pillow, and angling his body so that Cody can see the curve of his back, the rise of his shoulders – the shape of his ass – through the blankets. "Are you here to offer me my final meal then?" Kenobi asks, amused. "Took you awhile, my dear – I'd so hoped you'd break sooner. "

"You're _insufferable_ ," Cody mutters, unable to help himself. "What are you planning – you have to be planning something."

Kenobi chuckles. "Which one worries you more – that I have a plan, or that I _don't_? Would it disappoint you, my dear, to find out that I'm flying by the seat of my pants? Would it make you _concerned_?"

"You aren't," Cody says, trying to sound certain and Kenobi just smiles wider, his eyes sleepily low lidded. It's a damn good look on him, that stray hair hanging over his eyes, the low simmer of his Sith yellow irises – damn it. Cody shakes his head. "No, you would've tried to escape by now, if you weren't planning something else. You could've gotten out of here, if you wanted to."

"Me and what army?" Kenobi asks, and holds out his wrists a little from under the pillow, displaying their glowing blue cuffs. Force, it makes him look like… "I'm in prison, chained, cut off from the Force, oh so utterly _helpless_. Oh, my dear," he says in surprise, seeing Cody's reaction. "Oh, you don't like that at all, do you? You don't like seeing me helpless – aww, sweetheart…"

Cody grits his teeth "Shut up," he grinds out at him. "What are you planning?"

Kenobi pushes himself up and to sit on his knees, eyeing him almost worriedly. "I was going to try and wind you up to get in here and do something about me, but that's not the tactic at all, is it? It winds you worse than the praise and the congratulation, doesn't it, to think of me useless, helpless, weak," he says, marvelling. "Damn, that praise and command kink runs deep in you, doesn't it? Hmm… "

"I'm not here about _that_ ," Cody says, closing his eyes. "Tell me what you're planning, and I'll leave."

"Well I definitely won't tell you _now_ ," Kenobi says, affronted. "I want you in here, I don't want you to _leave_."

Cody for a moment wishes he could bang his head against the force field without giving himself third degree burns. "Damn it, Kenobi…"

"Hmm… well, maybe I should take care of myself, then," Kenobi says, arching his hips just enough to show what he had going on, below the belt. "I'll give you a show while you stand there and _ache_ for me and I'll make sure you'll hate every moment of it."

What kind of tactic is _that_ , Cody thinks helplessly, and watches as Kenobi winds the blanket around his shoulders, but only enough to keep warm. It hides none of his actions beneath it, as he pushes his skin tight under shirt slightly up, to reveal a scarred pale skin of his lower stomach, before following the line of hair low on his abdomen, centimetre by enticing centimetre.

"Well?" Kenobi purrs, shifting his knees apart, fingers hovering just on the edge.

"What will you do when we reach Coruscant?" Cody demands, squeezing his hands into fists and keeping himself carefully still.

"I will be handed over to the Coruscant Guard, who will no doubt interrogate me, maybe torture me, who knows, and then they will likely throw me into a lightless cell to await for a trial," Kenobi says, both hands inching lower and lower, but not quite touching, not yet. "It'll be interesting to see if there even will be a trial, don't you think? I'm the first Darksider the Republic has properly captured, I think. Whatever will you do with me?"

Cody blinks at that. He hadn't even realised but… Kenobi is right. They'd never actually captured a user of the Dark Side of the Force before. They'd definitely tried, but they'd never succeeded. "You think they will treat you differently because you're a Force user?" he asks, his eyes flicking down and then up again.

Kenobi laughs and rewards his stray glance by reaching below the belt, finally. The cloth of his undersuit slacks is in the way, but the way he moves his hands makes it clear enough what he's doing – and so is the way he leans his head back, letting out a little pleased sigh. "I am going to make a mess," he breathes, grinning, and shifts his hips. "Mmh."

 _Fuck_ , Cody thinks, his eyes wandering down again and then quickly looks away. He can't even begin to count the levels this is messed up on. He should walk out of here and not let the man get to him. Go get a cold shower and try and forget the whole thing, and let Kenobi do whatever he damn well pleased because, like Rex said, it would be out of their hands soon. Whatever happened in Coruscant, be it Kenobi's daring escape or his execution, it wasn't Cody's problem. It shouldn't be Cody's problem. He shouldn't care at all.

Damn it all.

Kenobi lets out a breathy little gasp of pleasure, and Cody unlocks the cell. The Darksider's next hitched breath has definitely a happy ring to it, and Cody tries to ignore how much it affects him, the way Kenobi stops expectantly as Cody steps into the cell.

The force field closes automatically behind him, leaving Cody stuck in with Kenobi – with no way to open the force field himself. He can only hope that Rex is good on his word and this wouldn't make it into any records – and that someone would come in to let Cody out at the end of his allotted two hours. Because if not… if not, then he'd just doomed himself to share Kenobi's fate. Or much likely a fate much worse than that. No matter how Kenobi sees him, he is still just a clone, after all.

He probably should feel more regretful over that, over risking himself like that, but as Kenobi reaches his chained hands for him, smiling like that, Cody can't bring himself to it.

"Oh, come here," Kenobi beckons at him softly, breathlessly eager, and Cody goes, gritting his teeth and stomping his feet a little, but he goes. Immediately the Darksider reaches for his face, fingers gently capturing each side of his jaw. Outside their fight it's the first time Kenobi has touched him and Cody almost flinches away from it – it's so careful. Kenobi's fingertips are cold.

"There you are, my dear commander," Kenobi breathes elatedly, his eyes glowing hot and possessive. "Was that hard? You did so well."

" _Don't_ ," Cody says, shuddering under his tender but completely arresting hold. "What are you even talking about?"

"Making choices, reaching for the things you want, individuality, _independence_ ," Kenobi murmurs, reaching up towards him, inching closer on his knees, his lower abdomen still welcomingly bared, his excitement _painfully_ obvious between them. "You're doing so well, my dear, you're coming along _so well_. I am so proud of you. Come here…"

Cody swallows, and helplessly lets himself be drawn into a kiss. It's shallower than he expected, almost delicate, just a brush of lips on lips with none of the feverish possessiveness he had been expecting and, guiltily maybe, hoping for. Kenobi kisses him slowly like he's savouring it, like it's precious. It feels dangerous.

"A reward for working so hard. Damn, you did make me wait, didn't you? Such self control. You can touch me, Cody," Kenobi murmurs, smiling against his lips, the blanket slipping from his shoulders. "I permit you to. Go on, my dear. You're allowed to."

Why does he have to put it like _that_? Cody shudders and touches him, a little too rough, his hands cupping the man's shoulders. Kenobi is well built and strong, and it's not the Jedi kind of wiry strength, where they're physically fit to the point of excellence, but not quite _built_. Jedi use the Force to make themselves physically strong – Kenobi on other hand has actual muscles, the kind of muscles that only develop weight lifting and demand regular exercise.

Cody wonders if that means the man doesn't use Force to enhance his physical strength – maybe he can't, maybe his early departure from the Jedi Order means he doesn't even know how.

Then Kenobi throws his shackled arms around Cody's neck to pull him in, and Cody's hands slip from his shoulders to his back, gliding over the muscles of his upper back, over his shoulder blades. The kiss deepens, grows wet, and Cody loses the track of what he was thinking in the face of Kenobi's tongue brushing against his lips, his teeth tugging on his lower lip. Kenobi pulls him insistently off balance while arching towards him, shifting on the bed, and it feels natural to move as the man wordlessly demands, into him and over him – to sit astride Kenobi's lap.

"Good," Kenobi purrs as Cody's hands wander helplessly over his back, unsure what to do, where he can touch, what's allowed. Kenobi seems to see it, and nuzzles against his cheek. "Push your shirt up for me, darling."

Cody shudders as he realises Kenobi can't do it himself with his arms around Cody's neck, his wrists tied together – the man is all but trapped by the chain between them. Right. Cody takes his hands clumsily from Kenobi's back to get his fingers under his own under suit shirt, to pull it up to his armpits, which is as far as he can go with Kenobi's arms around him. It somehow feels more indecent this way, bared up to the chest, but not fully shirtless.

Kenobi hums with satisfaction and nuzzles against Cody's cheek, then his jaw line, and then his neck. He brushes kisses against Cody's skin, making him shiver, and then he bypasses the punched up fabric of his shirt to press a kiss in the middle of Cody's chest, slow and lingering.

"Now pull up mine," Kenobi says against his skin between slow, appreciative kisses. His hands cupped around the back of Cody's neck, nails scraping the short, closely cropped hair at the base of his skull, and it's so distracting that it takes Cody a moment to comply, dragging Kenobi's shirt up too, getting his hands on the man's bare skin in the process. Kenobi expresses his appreciation by grazing his teeth over Cody's pectoral, almost biting him, and Cody shudders into it, gripping at Kenobi's sides.

"Tell me you have a plan," Cody says breathlessly, looking down as the man nuzzles at his chest.

"Well, unless you're carrying supplies somewhere I can't see, without oils at hand –" Kenobi murmurs, his smile clear in his voice.

"That's _not_ what I meant and you know –" Cody grits out and then gasps as Kenobi's teeth make themselves felt again, closer to a nipple this time. This time they definitely leave a mark – and Cody knows Kenobi felt his reaction to it, through Cody's slacks.

Kenobi chuckles at his muttered curse and looks up, eyes low lidded, licking his lips. "My plan is going to Coruscant," he breathes, arching his body pressing bare skin to bare skin before thrusting his hips slightly up and between Cody's spread thighs – yeah, he definitely felt it. "You know how _hard_ it is for a Separatist General to get into the very _heart_ of the Republic? There are two ways – and I don't have the resources to invade a capital planet."

Cody shudders, clawing at the skin of Kenobi's back, trying to stop himself from gyrating down to his lap. "You're planning to kill someone, to assassinate –" he starts to say, before Kenobi kisses him, for a moment muffling his words and confusing his thoughts.

"Nothing so straight forward, I'm afraid," Kenobi mumbles against his lips, carding his fingers through Cody's short hair, scraping deliciously at his scalp. "Coruscant was my home once, you know. I've missed it. I just want to see it again, is that too much to ask?"

"No, you're planning _something_ ," Cody says, his fingers running up to Kenobi's hair in reflection. The man's hair is soft and warm., messy from lack of care. It makes him look _wild_. "Tell me what it is."

Kenobi answers by shifting his weight under Cody's, and then gripping the back of his neck tighter. Cody feels a moment of alarm at the tightness of the grip, and then there's a twist, and suddenly he's on his back on the bed, and Kenobi is leaning over him.

"Coruscant runs this war. I want to see _how_ ," the Darksider says, detangling his cuffs from around Cody's neck, greedily laying hands on Cody's chest instead, pushing the black shirt higher and all but groping at his chest. "But right now, my dear, I want to see _you_. Push down your slacks and take yourself in your hand. Get yourself free for me."

Cody swallows, glancing down – he's bared to the hips and with Kenobi between his thighs it looks even more indecent. There is no way he can take his pants off, the man is in the way _again_. It's like he's intentionally making this difficult. Maybe he is. It seems like something Kenobi would enjoy, adding a little bit of struggle to something like this, making things close and awkward and _intimate_.

Cody's hands shake, as he pushes his slacks down as much as he can – which is not much. Over his hips and under his ass, just enough that it gets him free, and as Kenobi watches him with blazing hot eyes and possessive smile on his face, Cody winds his fingers around himself, feeling how hard he already is. He's shaking in every limb and it feels as though every muscle in his body is already straining and they haven't even _done_ much yet. Every nerve in his body is pulled tight like a string of some alien instruments, and with his words alone Kenobi is making them _sing_.

" _Look at you_ ," Kenobi breathes in open admiration, stroking his shackled hands down Cody's bare torso, following the lines of the abdominal muscles greedily, grinning wider and wider. "You are a _marvel_ , my dear commander, a pinnacle of physical perfection. Look how well you're made. Every inch of you is _perfect_."

Cody's breath stutters as Kenobi's eyes and hands both wander down, over his hips, as far apart as the chain between his wrists allow, and then down, to cup around his hand, frozen around his dick. He tries to make himself speak, to ask something – he has to get the truth out of Kenobi, get something out of this, but he can't. His mouth is too dry and all his voice manages is a pitiful, helpless moan.

"Darling, you are utterly _wasted_ on the Republic," Kenobi murmurs, bowing down, and Cody loses the ability to think entirely.

* * *

Later, after Cody last lost his mind twice and Kenobi has gotten what he'd wanted and more, after Cody has forced himself to clean up in the cell's small fresher and pull his clothes back on and Kenobi has done _nothing of the sort_ … they do actually talk.

"So it's just curiosity?" Cody asks, clearing his throat as he sits there, on the edge of Kenobi's bed, feeling wrung dry and empowered all at once. "You think going to Coruscant you'll learn something about this war?"

"That and more," Kenobi answers with a hedonistic stretch, his nude form barely covered up by the blanket. "I've been watching this war from the side lines since the start – I didn't intend to join it at all, actually. It's not my style of war, you know, too clinical by far, too well engineered."

Cody frowns at that. Droid armies on one side, Clone armies on the other – clinical and engineered is one way to put it. "But then?" he asks, looking at the man.

"Then of all people, of all places… Mandalore declared itself _pacifistic_ ," Kenobi says and snorts. "There is a galaxy-wide war going on, these are the waters Mandalorians swim in, and they looked at this war, and they went, _no thanks_. Now why would they do that, I wondered – what did the society of Mandalore, a warrior society to their glorious core, see in this war, that made them turn up their collective noses on such a fight?"

That's… hm. "I thought it was Dutchess Kryze being pacifist, she led the pacifistic movement, right?" Cody asks, trying to remember how it went. "I haven't exactly kept track of what is going on in Mandalore, but… I thought it was all her."

"Darling, leaders like her don't come from nowhere," Kenobi says. "She is a symptom, not the cause – and there is no way she could've ever risen to the rulership of Mandalore, if there wasn't already an underlying, sympathetic movement in play. There are holdouts who still are itching to fight, of course, it's still Mandalore – but the majority of people voted for peace. They want nothing to do with this war, to the point that they're willing to turn their back on thousands of generations of history and tradition to stay apart."

"Huh," Cody hums. That is a way to look at it, certainly. He had wondered what happened to the people the clone template came from, what could've changed in a culture so old and so heavily traditional, what inspired them to change their ways so suddenly… "So because of Mandalore, you want to see what's going on."

"Well, there are other reasons, but that was the largest warning sign," Kenobi agrees. "I've fought in dozens of wars, I've seen hundreds of battles. And this war, this war that created you, my dearest Cody – this war is the strangest I've ever seen. Do you even know what you're fighting for?"

Loaded question, that. "We are fighting to keep the Separatists from harassing Republic worlds," Cody answers, but slowly, thoughtfully.

"You are fighting to stop worlds who wish to become independent from leaving. You are fighting to keep the Republic together," Kenobi says, reaching out and stroking a hand over Cody's knee. "Now, a much tougher question – what are the Separatists fighting for?"

"They are looking to separate, to become independent," Cody says, shaking his head and giving him a worried look. "What are you getting at?"

"If you're fighting to keep the Republic together, and they are fighting to leave it… why do Separatists _attack_ worlds like Kashyyyk, which has absolutely no intention of leaving the Republic? It's not like they're defending their own ideals there, they're just attacking, inciting violence for… a reason, assumably," Kenobi says plainly. "Now, why does Republic attack worlds like Umbara, that was never a Republic planet in the first place, and the loss of which to the Separatist doesn't affect them much at all? One has to assume it's important, considering the sheer wealth of resources that went into that campaign, but why? And why do you both fight over Ryloth, when it's basically a Hutt world at this point? For moral victory?"

Cody hesitates "Uh…"

"Do you see it, dearest?" Kenobi asks, arching his brows. "Separatists should be on the defensive in this war, they are the ones trying to _leave_ … but they are constantly on the offensive, attacking targets they have no hope of holding, for no clear reason. Republic should be on the offensive, attacking _Separatist worlds_ to keep them from seceding… but instead they are on the defensive, protecting planets that were never even theirs to begin with."

Cody says nothing, the words settling slowly in his mind. "I don't – what's wrong with defending helpless planets?"

"My dear," Kenobi says with a sigh and a shake of his head. "You are the offending party in this war – the Republic is the aggressor here. But _everyone one_ in this war acts as though the Republic is the underdog on the defensive _, including the Separatists_. None of this makes any damn sense. And that's without getting into the armies they use, the sheer expenditure in how they're used. No one's recruiting! Instead everyone is creating engineering armies from ground up, spending credits like they just grow on trees."

Kenobi waves a hand, disgusted. "This is a war, _The War_ , for the fate of the entire galaxy, you realise. The outcome will decide whether we have a unified galaxy, or a fractured one," he says and scoffs, letting his hand drop on the bedspreads. "And yet, it makes no sense, no one is fighting for the things or causes they _should be_ , no one is trying to take advantage of the probably trillions of beings out there who would likely join various militaries if only they could. Instead it's being played out with manufactured armies like it's… some hideously expensive game. The only conclusion for this war I can see is that at the end of it, every single party involved will be _broke_."

Cody looks at him, frowning. The man sounds almost personally offended. "Okay," he says slowly. "That is a conclusion, yes, and probably not a wrong one, but… so what? The Republic and the Separatists will bankrupt each other. We already know that was probably going to happen. That doesn't explain you, or how you feature. You still haven't told me what your plan is."

Kenobi stops at that and then lets out a sigh. "There are two possibilities in this war. One, it's all a terrible, horrible, _stupid_ accident," he says, and reaches out his hands to stroke down Cody's cheek. "And a beautiful being like you came into existence on a _fluke_. Or…" he trails his hands down Cody's jaw, appreciative. "Or someone designed everything, the way you were designed, my dear, to _perfection_ – and they are in the process of creating an incredibly engineered, galaxy-wide power vacuum. And if that's the case…"

He lets his hands drop and smiles. "If that's the case, then Coruscant is the place to be, isn't it? What other world could do something like that, except Coruscant?"

Cody stares at him silently with a mounting sense of doom, and then looks up as he hears a door sliding open somewhere in the prison block. A moment later, Rex steps in view, fully armoured, face covered behind his helmet. He doesn't say anything, but his helmet tilts slightly, and Cody just knows he's giving him a _look_ through the visor.

"Visiting hours are over, then?" Kenobi asks with a chuckle and sits up, blanket pooling in his lap as he leans towards Cody. "Think about it, dearest," he says and kisses Cody without a shred of shame. "And I hope you will think about me too, now and then. Because I certainly will be thinking about you."

Cody lets himself be kissed, even tilts his head to it, though his mind is too much in turmoil for him to enjoy it the way it probably deserves. It might be their final kiss, once they reached Coruscant it might be all over. And yet…

An engineered galaxy-wide power vacuum.

Kenobi really knows how to drop bombs, doesn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pillow talk to go with the two-armies-worth of foreplay.


	7. Chapter 7

The day when they reach Coruscant, Jinn finally comes out of his meditations. Knee finally fully healed, he goes to see Kenobi and according to the prison block's guards, he spends hours talking with the man – or to the man. They can't tell if Kenobi talks back to him, but Jinn certainly takes his time to say his piece, whatever it is.

When he comes out, it's to hand the reins to Cody. "You will deliver Obi-Wan to the Coruscant Guard, Commander," he says, hood pulled up and eyes shielded, his expression inscrutable. "We will begin repairing the Negotiator immediately after."

"Yes, sir," Cody says, frowning, looking between Jinn and the doors to the cell block. "General, may I ask –?"

"Following the Will of the Force is the strangest thing, sometimes," Jinn says, thoughtful. "It takes us to strangest places, to lead the strangest lives. I don't think may in this war are exactly where they choose or want to be – and those that are, are likely driven by delusion more than sense. What does that make those of us who follow the Will of the Force, and it leads us here?"

Cody presses his lips together at that, frowning at the man. "So the Force led Kenobi here."

Jinn hums, and it almost has an amused note to it. "Force leads us all in it's own way – we all follow it in ours," he says and shakes his head. "What is Dark, really, but a place no one has shed Light yet?"

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not a Jedi – your sayings are lost on me," Cody says, trying not to sound too annoyed. "Did Kenobi say something?"

"Many things, which made too much sense. He has that tendency," Jinn says and sighs. "I never told you about Mandalore, did I?"

"I know you've been," Cody agrees noncommittally.

"Obi-Wan was there too, at the time. We were somewhat on the opposing sides – I was protecting the then not yet Duchess Kryze from various assassination attempts. Obi-Wan was… tangled in the Death Watch's business, though I could never get a handle on what his intention there was. I still don't know, but we fought, and we debated, and we fought some more," Jinn hums. "I could have dragged him back to the Jedi Order then – or to prison. He was flirting with the darkside already, but not yet fallen. I could have changed his destiny. Or he could have changed mine."

Cody says nothing, watching him warily, expecting more. "You didn't, though," he says when Jinn doesn't seem inclined to continue. "Nor did he."

"No, we didn't," Jinn agrees. "He'd killed thousands of people by then in several engagements, and his passions were… vivacious. I wasn't sure enough he was… salvageable. What he saw in me, I don't know, but though he had the chance to kill me, or capture me, even torture me… he didn't. In the end, he even aided my mission, somewhat – he let Satine Kryze go."

Cody folds his arms. "This was – when, sir?"

"Many, many years ago, before Anakin even became my student. Obi-Wan must've been nineteen at the time?" Jinn hums, scratching at his beard. "Already a war veteran by then, already something of a tactician. Already ruthless, when he decided to be."

Nineteen – and Kenobi is now, what, thirty-seven, thirty-eight? At least eighteen years ago, then – years before the Clone Army was even commissioned. The files didn't place an exact date on when the Clone Army went into manufacturing stages, for some reason usually impeccable Kaminoan record keeping failed there, but it had been roughly thirteen years ago. And the first use of battle droids was seen around that time too…

"Was Duchess Kryze already a pacifist then?" Cody asks thoughtfully.

"Hm?" Jinn asks, surprised by the change of subject. "Well, yes, and no – not to the extent she is now, but you could tell where her ideals were leading her. She was a young woman then, still finding her footing in life and politics both. But I suppose she did show strong pacifistic tendencies – it's why she was under a threat. She was slated for the throne of Mandalore, and more militant factions objected to her and her family's politics."

So Mandalore was inching towards pacifism good five years before people began commissioning armies? That's… interesting. And worrisome. Conventional wisdom had the roots of the Clone Wars in the use of the Droid Armies in the Battle of Naboo, thirteen years ago – but if Mandalore felt the changing winds years before that, then… then what?

"Well, it's old news now, I suppose," Jinn says and looks at him. "Are you prepared to deliver Obi-Wan to the authorities, Commander?"

Cody looks up sharply. Is the man implying he wouldn't – that he'd let Kenobi escape? "Yes, sir," he says warily, wondering if it's a test, or an accusation – or a _suggestion_. "I will bring a squad with me, we will see Kenobi to the hands of the Coruscant Guard." Though the squad would probably be unnecessary, considering that Kenobi had no intention of escaping…

Jinn eyes him searchingly and then nods. "Good," he says, and whatever he feels, he keeps to himself. "I will be heading to the Jedi Temple to make my report directly. I will see you eventually in the Negotiator, Commander."

The man doesn't want to take part in handing over such an important prisoner? "Yes, sir," Cody agrees. "As you will."

* * *

Kenobi is more than ready to go. He's dressed up, finally, he's even cleaned up – his hair is back in perfect state, he's trimmed his beard and if Cody didn't know better he'd say that the man had somehow managed to press his clothes. The long dark red, sharp shouldered coat he's pulled on looks like it's fresh from the rack, with no wrinkles in sight. The man looks impeccable.

After seeing the man lounging about half dressed for most of his imprisonment, it's striking, seeing him so polished. The look on his face makes it worse – gone is the smile, the casual teasing, the temptation. He's completely serious and his eyes are like solid brass now – hard metal, lacking all warmth.

It makes Cody want to snap to attention for him.

"Ready to go, then?" Skywalker asks, stepping in front of the cell force field, facing Kenobi.

"Oh, absolutely," Kenobi agrees, looking over the guard – a mixed company of 212th and 501st troopers. His eyes linger for a moment on Cody's helmet, before moving back to Skywalker. "Straight to the Senate, then?"

"That's right. The Coruscant Guard will be taking over from there," Skywalker agrees slowly, frowning a little. "And after that, the Senate will decide what will happen to you."

Kenobi simply nods briskly without a smile in sight. It makes the men shift their footing, grip their weapons and even Skywalker looks a little ill at ease with this new, hard mask Kenobi's wearing. Rex glances at Cody, wary, but says nothing. It's throwing all of them off – they'd all gotten used to the warmth, the praise, the interest, that it's lack is like… like punishment.

With Skywalker hesitating, Cody reaches over and unlocks the cell. "Company, form up, guard formation," he orders, and the clone troopers move into position as Kenobi lifts his chin and steps amidst the clones. They close up ranks around him, enclosing him within a barrier of troopers, and Cody takes the lead, Rex half a step behind him. Skywalker takes position ahead of them with the practiced expectation of leading the whole party, as Jedi usually do.

It's Cody who the troopers – and Kenobi – are following, though.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Skywalker says under his breath, as they all endure Kenobi's calculating, serious stares in the backs of their necks.

"You and me both, General," Rex murmurs.

Cody says nothing.

They take a troop carrier down from the Resolute on Coruscant orbit, and during the flight Kenobi says nothing to any of them, just sitting there in his seat, his face set. Skywalker tries to engage him in a conversation a couple of times, asking him what he thinks will happen, if he regrets his actions, if he has missed Coruscant, but Kenobi answers only with a look and nothing else. In the end, the flight is silent and increasingly uneasy.

This is a battle, Cody realises. Time of pleasure is over – they're back in the war, now, and Kenobi is done showering them with his attention, he has other things to concern himself with. The lack of the warmth and casual encouragement is like a slap in the face, because that's what _it is_.

In one hand he holds a gift, in the other…

They land directly in the Senate Landing pads, where a company from the Coruscant Guard is waiting for them – unsurprisingly, with Fox in the lead. He steps up the moment their feet hit the landing pad, greeting them with, "General, Commanders. I am here to take charge of the prisoner."

"Thank you, Commander," Skywalker says, more subdued than he'd probably be usually. They had captured a high profile prisoner, Skywalker and Jinn might even get commendations for it – maybe Cody and Rex would too, though he doubted it. Normally something like this would be treated as a triumph.

"Be careful with this one," Skywalker says with a wry smile as the men from the 501st and 212th loosen ranks enough for Kenobi to step forward into the awaiting arms of the Coruscant Guard. "He's a slippery one."

"We know how to treat the likes of him," Fox assures him, as two of the shock troopers put hands on each of Kenobi's arms, not quite to drag him away, but for additional restraint. "We'll take it from here, sirs."

Cody looks at Kenobi's back, waiting – but Kenobi doesn't look back at all. His eyes are trained on the Senate building – on the next battle. And judging by the looks of him, he expects it to be a hard one. As the Coruscant Guard begins leading him away, Cody tries to match the man from the night they'd shared with this one, and wonders quietly how much of what he'd seen then was true to Kenobi – how much of this version is false.

"Damn," Skywalker mutters and releases a sigh as Fox and his men take Kenobi into a prison transport, and out of sight. " _Darksiders_. Well, it's out of our hands now. Let's head back."

Rex claps Cody compassionately on the shoulder, and together they turn back to the transport.

* * *

The presence of Kenobi is felt even in the man's absence – and the final _performance_ by the man had definitely made an impact. The troopers are talking nothing _but_ the man, when 212th returns to the Negotiator, and the work to return the ship back to her previous state continues.

"Do you think he has a plan?" Wooley asks curiously, as they rip out the droid control stations and get into the guts of the bastardised database. "I mean, he walked out of here like he was expecting to get shot at."

"There's a good chance he will be executed," Cody comments, flatly. "So that's not entirely wrong."

"You don't think he will, do you?" Waxer asks, worried. "I mean, sure he's a Separatist, but, like… he's a Separatist _General_."

"Still an enemy," Boil says and throws aside another useless Separatist data core. "We've executed enemies before."

"In battle, yeah. And not enemy _generals_."

"What do you think, Commander?" Greggor asks. "What's going to happen to Kenobi, really? You gotta know, right? you have an, uh… _bond_ with the man."

"Are you going to keep touch with him?" Waxer asks eagerly, turning to Cody. "Maybe you can ask."

"I think keeping in touch with him would come across as some kind of sedition. My associations aside, I'm still a loyal soldier of the Republic, and he's a _Separatist_ ," Cody says wryly. Or that's what he pretended to be, anyway. "I don't know what will happen to him, Greggor – I'm not in the Senate, nor involved with his interrogation. But that's probably what will follow – he will be interrogated and sentenced and punished according to the sentencing. That's how it usually goes."

"Yeah, but it's… him," Greggor says, making a vague hand gesture, trying to convey everything _Kenobi_ in single motion. "It's… _him._ "

"And he's still a Seppie," Boil says flatly. "Even if he throws a good party."

"What if they really execute him?" Waxer asks. "What then?"

"Then he's dead," Cody says in a tone that brooks no arguments – no matter how it makes his gut clench with pain. If Kenobi is sentenced to be executed, then so be it. It's not something he can change, not something he can affect – and afterwards… afterwards Kenobi would be dead. And that would be it.

There's an awkward, uneasy silence that follows and Cody abruptly doesn't want to be here. "Finish with this," he says and stands up. "I will go see how they are doing with the hyperdrives."

"Yes, sir," Waxer says, subdued, and no one says anything else.

* * *

Once his shift is over and he's on the mandatory rest period of the day, Cody brings out the data pads and goes back to his research.

He's caught up on Mandalore's shifting political winds, more or less, though the _cause_ for them still eluded him. The things that led to Clone Wars seem to be the same that led to Mandalore's pacifism – but at the same time, they aren't. Mandalore began to make their way towards the pacifist route earlier – maybe even as far back as during the unrest period between Death Watch and the True Mandalorians…

Period which created Jango Fett, the Mandalorian foundling, and the eventual template for the Clone Army.

Which brings up another question, one Cody has been wondering ever since the beginning, maybe, but never really sought out to find answers for. Jango had been chosen for his accomplishments in various tests, he'd come out on top and was thus chosen to be the Clone Template. It seemed simple, but it wasn't, because Cody knew enough of Jango's own leanings to know that the man held no love for the Republic – or for the Jedi, to whom the Clones had been trained to serve. So why him, why like that – why _them_.

The clone army was designed to replicate the prowess of Mandalorians – everyone knows that. All the while Mandalore herself decided to put down arms.

Republic databases don't have enough on Jango or his people – Mandalore has been somewhat isolationist for a long while and didn't share information readily, so questions are all Cody is left with. He moves to trying to figure out what else Kenobi saw in the war.

The Droid Army preceded the beginnings of the Clone Army, but not by much. They'd been in development by the Baktoid Combat Automata years before their first implementation in the Trade Federation Invasion and the eventual Battle of Naboo, though. And that says something. You don't create a product without expectation to sell – and though Baktoid Combat Automata had been developing and selling battle droids for centuries, the B1 Battle Droids were different. They were _massively mass produced_ , with the clear intention of creating patches of hundreds of thousands, of millions. They went into development, into planning stages, with expectation of a large war in the future. And it happened years before actual first products came off the assembly lines.

Cody sets the datapad down and stares at nothing, letting his thoughts flow freely, trying to figure out what Kenobi saw.

It makes sense that the war was in the works before it actually started – very few wars start out of _nothing_. There are always underlying causes that lead to those wars. And in this one there'd been unrest, there'd been discontent. The Separatist cause is based on the unfair legislation and management of Mid to Outer Rim worlds in Republic space – the Republic's clear favouritism of the rich and affluent Core Worlds. That's why they wanted to secede, to take the management of their systems into their own hands and stop the Core Worlds from draining resources and money from the Outer and Mid Rim to the already wealthy Core of the Galaxy. It's… simple. And yet…

 _No one's recruiting_ , Cody thinks and that's the rob of it. There's something missing here. The _people_ are missing in the whole conflict. There are trillions of people in the galaxy – natural-born soldiers might not be as skilled or as perfect as clone troopers, but take out the cost of _creating them from nothing_ … training and equipping them would be twenty times cheaper than doing the same with a single clone trooper. For the cost of a clone, you could train a dozen natural-born soldiers, maybe more. At fraction of the time it took to grow a clone, too.

It has come up in the Senate several times, Cody knows that. He'd scoffed at it every time _and_ he'd feared it would be taken up. He'd known that the moment natural-born recruitment began, they'd outnumber clones hundred fold. There's only millions of clones – by recruiting, by conscripting, the Republic would easily get a military of _billions_.

But they hadn't.

And weirder still, neither had the _Separatists_.

The cause of the Separatist worlds is clear and it's even _just_ – so why aren't the people themselves fighting for it, where are their voices in this? And the Republic… everyone within the Republic treats the Republic's part in the war as… somehow removed from themselves. As a thing _that's happening somewhere, to some people, but not to us_. The only time actual _people_ , in terms of populations, civilians, the actual inhabitants of the galaxy they're fighting for, are involved is when one army or the other attacks their world.

There are some natural-born fighters out there, sure, scattered groups here and there on the world's worse off… but they're considered freedom-fighters, insurgents or rebels… not soldiers. They spring up within the populations themselves, from the grievances of those suffering under the war – and that tells something about the people's will to fight. And yet no one sanctions them, or approves them. They're treated little better than criminals, in most cases.

It's like this war was inflicted upon the galaxy with all the ready made causes and actions, everything laid out like dominoes in a row – but it's not the galaxy itself that's fighting. It's always been clinical, sure, and Cody has never particularly held any warm feelings for all the natural-borns who decided to create a slave army instead of fighting their own wars, but… now he has to wonder why. Why is it all laid out like that? And who laid it all out?

Engineered galaxy-wide power vacuum. He can see how Kenobi came into that conclusion. And then there's the aspect Kenobi didn't actually voice. What happens when there's a power vacuum. What might happen in a _galaxy-wide_ power vacuum.

Cody lifts his eyes and looks up to the wall just beyond his desk – someone's pinned a poster to his wall, a vivid, boldly coloured recreation of a still from a familiar holo. Him and Kenobi in mid fight.

Why is no one recruiting natural-born soldiers, when it would be by far the more logical option to expensive ready made manufacture-armies?

Because they're saving the natural-born soldiers for whatever would spring up from the power vacuum once the Republic and the Separatists finally wore each other to the bone. Once the droids would be crushed and clones killed, once the two powers would be bankrupt and out of power, something new would rise – and they would have a galaxy's worth of desperate, furious people, wanting to make a difference and still itching for a fight.

Closing his eyes, Cody turns the thought over in his head, trying to figure out if it's brilliant or ludicrous. It's definitely crazy. Could it even work? Did Kenobi see it – is that why he's so pissed, because he can see someone setting up the dominoes for that moment when the flood gates opened and the galaxy would be overrun by a new power? And if it was possible… who the hell was behind it?

Leaning back in his chair, Cody closes the datapad and then sighs.

Well, he can at least see why Kenobi was willing to risk his life for this, just to figure it all out. Question is, if someone in Coruscant is behind it, and if Kenobi can actually figure out _who_ … what would he do then? What was he actually planning to do with the confirmation? Expose them, kill them? That doesn't seem Kenobi's style. Join them, maybe? Who knows. And that's assuming he wouldn't be killed before then for being a Separatist General…

Though why would he be killed just being a Separatist, since the Separatists and the Republic both… since they're both working on the same goal…

Well, shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when this was just a crack fic about Seperatist general darksider Kenobi which I wrote just for the aesthetic, those were the days.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk of terrorism and psychological warfare

Cody follows Kenobi's case within the Senate up until it vanishes into the system. He's not particularly surprised that it does – how the news of the captured Separatist General turns more and more minor, until they get buried under newer scandals and battles and news on natural disasters, until people forget. It takes less time than Cody would've thought – but the war moves fast, no one has the time to stop and linger, especially not the news cycle.

Cody had expected it – but he hadn't expected Kenobi to just _disappear_ from public consciousness. The man had been a new addition to the war, sure, he'd been in none of the major engagements and only about half a dozen battles in total. But he was still a Separatist General, one of the very few they'd captured alive. One would think they'd at least take his case to some kind of court. But no, the trial process drags its heels until it finds a hole to vanish into – taking Kenobi with it, until Cody can't even get confirmation as to where the man is being kept, who's overseeing his case, how it's proceeding, anything. He's just… gone.

The only reason Cody has to believe that the man isn't simply dead is because if it had been, he's sure the Republic would've turned it into propaganda to use to gain more following, more favours – more funding. That and the _cease and desist_ he gets from Coruscant Guard when he pokes a little too deeply into the matter, gives him some hope.

"You're on thin ice, what with the rumours and that _holo,_ Commander," Fox says flatly. "I suggest you don't push it."

Cody takes in the other Commander's visage, his not-quite-military-attention posture. Fox's word's aren't military brisk either, which means it's not _exactly_ orders he's following, giving Cody the warning. Mostly the man just looks tired.

"Alright, understood," Cody says, stiff, and bites his tongue on all the questions he wants to ask.

Fox holds his gaze a moment and then nods, satisfied. "It's one hell of a holo, though," he says, as a way of good bye, and just cuts off the call there, giving away nothing more.

It's already a lot.

The holo of Cody and Kenobi fighting is still making rounds, and even if Kenobi's part in the war is diminishing day by day, it's still having an effect, it's still making a difference. The footage had gone underground pretty fast too, good copies becoming valuable tradeables on ship-board markets – though Cody couldn't tell if it was because someone had tried to suppress it or not. Either way, he still hears it about. Most of the army know him by name – because a lot of the posters made of the fight include the line, "I will only surrender to Marshal Commander Cody." Which is… which is certainly something.

Cody blames Waxer, mainly. He'd gone out his way to get a lot of them designed – 212th had even added a decal of the fight on one of their LAAT/i's

Cody has to admit it's flattering. He'd earned himself quite a bit of social credit among his brothers, credit he isn't sure he's earned, but it's definitely coming in handy. It gets him first pick on gear and men when refilling their ranks, it gets him some eager followers in the army, it gets him… fans, even, within the ranks. It gets him a lot of trust and respect and hero worship and he uses with barely a shred of regret to get access to files he doesn't have authorisation for, to gather intel he shouldn't be privy to. It is useful, but…

He'd trade away every bit of it for a single line of trustworthy news on Kenobi. The man had made him _great_ and thrown him into limelight within the army – and then he'd disappeared, leaving Cody with his memory and words alone. And his fears.

It's not a lot to go on.

* * *

"I went through it. It's… a lot," Ponds says, his voice muffled by his helmet – with the actual communications turned off, he's barely audible through it. "How long have you been working on it?"

"Since the holo, pretty much," Cody says, looking over the landing pad where his General is talking with Ponds', too far to hear them. "Since Kenobi."

"He's the one who pointed you that way?"

Cody doesn't answer, clasping his hands loosely over his utility belt. It looks like Jinn and Windu are arguing again – lucky for them, that usually takes them a while. "Did you manage to verify any of it?" he asks and forces himself to stay relaxed.

Ponds doesn't answer immediately, but tilts his head in a way that tells Cody he's looking away, at the floor of the landing pad. "Not all of it," he says finally. "But… a lot of it, yes. I don't have access to all of General Windu's files on this war, he's very open as far as the war effort goes but he's still a High Councillor of the Jedi Order and most of his work is to some extent classified. But what my security level allowed me to access correlated with your findings."

Cody closes his eyes, breathes in and out, and keeps himself calm. "And what you think?"

Ponds sighs and it has to be a pretty damn heavy sigh, for Cody to hear it through _both_ their helmets. "I don't know yet. Like I said, it's a _lot_. Who have you told so far?"

"You know I won't tell you that," Cody admits. What he's on about isn't _exactly_ treason, but it's not far off it, and if any one of them got caught by someone with vested interest to keep the truth under wraps…

Ponds glances at him. "Right. But it's not just you?'

"It's not just those I personally told, either – I got contingencies," Cody admits and looks at Ponds. "It's not that I don't trust you. This is bigger than both of us – and if they put me under torture, I don't want this to die with me."

"Right, right," Ponds mutters, and to his credit didn't linger on the possibility of torture within the Republic. Some had - Ponds, being attached to a Jedi High Council member, probably knows better. "You learned about this from _Kenobi,_ though. A _Seperatist_ General."

"Not sure he is a Separatist. It was a means to an end to him, I think, joining the Separatists," Cody admits and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter where the intelligence comes from, if it can be verified and cross referenced by others."

"It could still be false, a trumped up accusation manufactured to correlate with disconnected facts. A… coincidence."

It could – but they both know it isn't. There isn't a vod above the rank of captain in this war that hasn't felt the _weirdness_ of it. They'd been taught to command and with command came a certain level of strategy, analysis and most of all _common sense_. They'd been trained to be pragmatic about their work and the realities of war and they were taught to expect the same from their enemies.

And most of them felt their enemies didn't quite live up to the expectations. Not because they weren't dangerous, or that the realities of the war weren't sufficiently horrific, no. But because a lot of the things in the war just… refused to add up. There were too many niggling inconsistencies.

So Cody doesn't really need to say anything to that - it's a feeble argument at best.

"I, ah… I checked something, just out of curiosity," Ponds admits. "Wasn't exactly part of your package, but… you know how many times they've tried to bring up peace talks, cessation of hostilities, the downgrading of military budget, or any kind of effort to wind down the war in the Senate?"

"Not a lot," Cody guesses.

"No, it's actually a lot more than people realise. There are hundreds of motions every month, maybe thousands – certain systems make appeals to the Senate every day, like clockwork," Ponds says. "Of course the Senate has some hundred thousand open cases at any given moment, it's a big and a loud galaxy. But… you know how many times anti-war sentiment has gotten to the Senate floor?"

Cody shakes his head. "Not a lot," he repeats.

"Not a lot," Ponds agrees. "And it tends to coincide with a Separatist terror attack on either a major Core world, or on Coruscant itself. Last time it was with the Confederate-Republic Peace Initiate, proposed by the Separatists. Remember that one?"

Cody frowns. "It rings a bell, but…"

"The big power out in Coruscant, a few months back," Ponds explains and Cody frowns. "While they were opening the peace talks in the Senate, a group of Seperatist demolition droids snuck into the main power distribution centre – knocked off power for the whole Senate district, all the way to the Jedi Temple. It was big news around here, for a while. Pissed off a lot of people, how the Separatists opened the peace talks... and by all appearances used them to sneak in bombs."

"And it was the end for the peace talks," Cody guesses and sighs. "Convenient."

"My General was furious at the time," Ponds admits, looking towards General Windu. "As much as he ever gets. It was the closest the Republic had gotten to proper negotiations with the Separatists since the very start."

Cody hums and says nothing. The silence stretches while they Generals talk, Jinn motioning something with a sweeping hand, until Ponds shakes his head.

"They're nudging this war along with terror tactics," he says quietly. "Ryloth was nothing but psychological warfare. They killed all those women, all those children… just to give us a reason to fight. And you know what is the worst thing about it?"

Cody looks at him sadly. He can guess – 212th had been in Ryloth too. They'd seen the aftermath.

"The Senate didn't really care about Ryloth before – and I'm not sure they care about it, after," Ponds says. "For a moment, it made a good story, a great tragedy – reason to keep on going. Afterwards, it just became another battle we had. Have you been back there since?"

Cody shakes his head. "We've been stationed close, but… not in Ryloth. The Separatist movement in the area ended."

"Funny thing about terror tactics," Ponds says flatly. "They lose their effectiveness with repeated performance. Attack the same target the same way more than once, and eventually people just grow numb to it, and it stops shocking. It's weird, the things that get can get normalised by repetition."

They're quiet for a moment and Cody knows he isn't the only one who's thinking of certain battles, certain attacks – certain engagements. Ryloth was one of the biggest ones, but there'd been others – fights that seemed to have no other reason except that the Separatist were evil, and had to be stopped.

Every battle is about resources, though. Morale and the will to fight are resources too.

"Have you told your General about this?" Ponds asks quietly after a while, looking towards the generals.

Cody shakes his head. "Jinn's been pretty preoccupied, lately," he admits. Ever since Kenobi, really – the man had always been a little on a distant side, but he'd grown more so since. Kenobi had rubbed the man's nose in the war, it feels like – and Jinn had massively overcorrected to the opposite direction. Half of the time it doesn't even feel like they have a General anymore.

"And Skywalker?"

Cody shakes his head – he would've learned if Rex had told Skywalker. Skywalker wouldn't be subtle about it, if he knew. "You want to tell Windu?" Cody asks.

Ponds folds his arms. "If I'm allowed to," he says, turning to him. "He's trustworthy – and he has his doubts about this war. A lot of the Generals do, from what I know. Bly will definitely want to tell his – have you told Wolffe?"

Cody doesn't answer that. "If you trust Windu, that's on you," he says instead, warningly. "Don't bring the rest of us into it."

"You're running this show, though," Ponds points out. "It's your call."

… _Stars,_ is it really?

* * *

Knowing that the war is false, knowing that they're fighting for _nothing,_ knowing that if only whoever is behind it stopped pushing their agenda and Dooku was stopped, the fighting would probably wind down within weeks… doesn't actually change much.

The war is still going on, they're still being sent out there, there's still underhanded Separatist ploys to be faced and atrocities to be dealt with. Knowing how they're all engineered to cause a certain reaction, to keep things going, doesn't actually stop them from happening. The Separatists still attack innocent populations. The Republic still finds a reason to force their defence upon non-Republic worlds. Both sides still lost credits at the rate of billions each day.

"They're bringing the isolationist, self-reliant worlds in, forcing them to be part of the war," an anonymous Clone sends Cody, attached to his analysis on the Republic's various engagements on non-Republic worlds. "They're leaving no holdouts for independence."

For when the Thing That Would Follow The Republic rose, they didn't want any little niches of potential opposition within former Republic space.

Cody isn't the only one doing some heavy thinking, now. The vod in the know analyse the military tactics eagerly through this new lens, the go through the spending, the budget, they line up the key points of the war, they dig into every inconsistency. Some report their findings anonymously, in secret, just in case. Some do it personally.

Wolffe is the one who draws the most depressing conclusion - the one about the Jedi.

They talk about it after a space engagement, after General Koon had lost half of his fleet and 212th barely made it on time to offer support. Thousands of dead clones scatter the scrapyard that was Koon's fleet, and Wolffe is on his second bottle after the Remembrance.

"You remember how it was in the beginning - Geonosis, the weeks after it, how… out of place the Jedi were?" Wolffe says and snorts. "I was all battered up when I was assigned to General Koon and still barely more than a shiny - took one look at him and thought, _finally, a proper General, just look at him, he'll lead us true._ Remember?"

Cody hums into his glass noncommittally.

"Dumbass," Wolffe says to himself, fondly. "Koon looks intimidating, but he's the nicest guy I know. He calls us _son_ ," he sounds pained saying it. " _Listen, son, you did well, son, careful there, son._ Half of my battalion calls him dad behind his back."

Cody sighs. Jinn wasn't like that, and as much as Cody enjoyed the man's trust in his military abilities, how Jinn had never sought to undermine him, how professional the distance felt… sometimes he'd been jealous of what other commanders had with their Jedi, the close attachments they'd built. As painful as they seemed, they also seemed... comforting.

He really wishes it didn't make him miss Kenobi so much, though. Even Ponds couldn't find out what happened to him.

"They're not suited for this, never were. They're not soldiers," Wolffe says, despairing. "This war _hurts_ them. Koon hides it, but it _hurts_ him. Sometimes it feels like a big joke, that we were ever put under them. We're so badly suited for each other. They're peacekeepers and we're _war machinery._ It's like taking a sculpture and using it to bash someone's head in. It's not right."

Wolffe's actual analysis is a bit more thorough, once he puts it in writing, but that's the gist of it. The war is _ruining_ the Jedi. Some are becoming distant and aloof in answer to war like Jinn. Some are turning reckless and violent like Skywalker could be. A lot of the Jedi hid what taking part in the war did to them, but if Cody had to guess... there was probably a lot of trauma, a lot of nightmares, a lot of anxiety in the Jedi order that was being covered up by meditation. The Jedi might be masters of managing their emotions - but they weren't genetically engineered to be trauma resistant.

Worse by far, the Jedi reputation has been thoroughly ruined. They weren't seen as diplomats or negotiators or peacekeepers any more. No, it was pretty much the opposite. Generals of the Grand Army of the Republic only heralded destruction, now.

"The Thing That Comes After," Wolffe says, mournful, and hefts the whole bottle up by the neck. "There's no place for the Jedi in it, is there?"

Cody takes a drink, looks down and says nothing.

Wolffe looks at him, his single working eye red. "You're not going to let my General die, right?"

"What do you think _I_ can do about it?" Cody asks, frowning.

Wolffe waves a hand at him, indicating something. Possibly all of Cody. "You're _you_. You figured it all out. Who else?"

Cody closes his eyes and shakes his head. He hadn't, though. Kenobi started this. He'd just followed the path the man had set him on, blindly in some cases. He'd known where it would lead but he'd gone ahead anyway, and he'd dragged others with him until suddenly he's sitting on a Cause that's only half his and the other half is just wistful thinking. It still feels like he's doing it only for Kenobi, because it's what Kenobi wanted him to do, why he so masterfully manoeuvred Cody here.

Cody is still waiting for Kenobi to take charge.

… but it's been months now, and it might be time he admitted that Kenobi is gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Implied torture off screen

"You've been called in front of the Jedi High Council," General Jinn says, making Cody look up from his work. "As soon as possible."

Cody blinks, slow, taking in the Jedi's utter lack of expression – and the lines of exhaustion, marking his face. It could mean anything, but clones don't get called in front of the Jedi Council for no reason, and for them to call _him_ specifically…

"Yes, sir," Cody says and stands up, picking up his bucket. Around him he can feel his men tensing up, casting him looks, getting ready if need be. Waxer makes an aborted move to join him, but Cody quickly motions him to stand back – and gestures him to _stand by_. Waxer's eyes flicker with worry but his expression sets, his jaw tightening and he nods. He doesn't look happy about it, none of them too. They all can tell.

Jinn, if he notices anything – and he must have, they're not being subtle – says nothing, simply turns around, lifting his hood up as he goes, moving back to the open doors. Cody draws a breath, puts his helmet on, and follows, not giving into the impulse to check up on his men, his officers. They know their work, they know the plan.

If he didn't return from the Temple…

Jinn leads him to the lift, and Cody steps behind him, to the old space at his right hand side. "It has been a quiet few days," Jinn comments, as the lift speeds them along towards the hangar.

"Yes, sir, it's been an unusually long downtime," Cody agrees, inflectionless. He'd been waiting for action, actually. A vod had crunched the numbers and they were closing up on another Separatist enforced reminder as to why the war had to go on – Cody's creditless bets were on a Separatist invasion on a peaceful planet. It seemed to be their go to, during quiet times.

Jinn hums, folding his hands together, almost completely disappearing into his robes. He's not wearing a shred of armour – more a Jedi than a General. Cody wonders if it's intentional, if he's making a point. "Commander," the old Jedi says. "I have never asked for your opinion on serving in the Grand Army."

Cody carefully doesn't react. "No, sir, you haven't."

"Would you give it to me now, would you tell me your honest thoughts on the army, on this war?"

Cody closes his eyes briefly. "My thoughts are… hardly relevant, sir," he says stiffly. "This is the only life I know – I have little basis for comparison."

"I would hardly consider your thoughts irrelevant, Commander. You have the powerful talent for observation, analysis, and empathy – I have seen you use all three, placing yourself in the shoes of others, to understand their standing both in and outside the battlefield. You can speculate on alternatives, I'm sure," Jinn says, glancing at him.

Cody speculates, a little bitterly, that this conversation is a minefield, and one he had no hand in laying out. "Why are you asking, sir?" he asks instead of offering a reply.

Jinn looks away. "Because I haven't dared to, before," he admits. "It seemed like needless cruelty, to ask men with little choice in their living situation about their opinion on that situation. And perhaps in a way I was… afraid of the answer."

Cody frowns, glancing at him. That's quite a bit more emotional honesty than he'd ever thought to get from Jinn. "Afraid, sir?" Cody asks slowly.

The Jedi hums in agreement. "There are certain questions one doesn't wish answered, and I have many of those," he admits. "I was leading the investigation that discovered Kamino, and ever since the question of your… willingness has lingered. I surmised that your eagerness to fight was more engineered than voluntary, we all do... but we dare not to ask."

That's… well. Not entirely wrong, but also not something Cody would've expected Jinn to just go outright and say. It's one of those _borderline treasonous thoughts_ people just don't voice in the proximity of the GAR, not even their Generals. That they were afraid of the answer, he's not surprised to learn. But the implication is that they could _guess_ the answer, and chose not to ask, that's…

Cody looks ahead, setting his shoulders and refusing to let himself react further.

There are two camps of thought now within the clone ranks, among those in the know about the Truth of the War. One camp was those who believed that the Jedi were not only involved but explicit to the conspiracy – a Jedi had commissioned them, after all, and the Jedi had then _discovered_ them after over ten years of conveniently forgetting about them. The Jedi led them to battle even now. They had to know.

But then there was the other camp of thought, led by the likes of Wolffe, who believed that the Jedi were almost completely innocent. They followed orders, same as the clones – and less happily, in most cases. They had no choice – orders were orders. The _almost_ in that sentence was the hiccup because not knowing didn't make them blameless, it still made them complicit.

And that's why, despite Wolffe's love for his General, despite Ponds' and Bly's and many others' implicit trust in theirs… the truth was still a secret.

Granted, Cody really had thought he had more time to make that choice – it hasn't been a week since the full breadth of the conspiracy truly dawned on them.

He'd thought there was still time to collect actual evidence.

"So, commander?" Jinn asks. "What do you think of this war?"

Knowing what must be coming for him in the chambers of the Jedi High Council makes Cody a little bitter when he says, "Well, sir, honestly… I think you should ask me again once it's over." And whether he'd be asking the questions to a civilian, a soldier, or a _cooling corpse…_

Jinn glances at him and says nothing. Before them the lift doors open, letting them out to the hangar. "We'll take one of the LAAT/i's to the Temple," the best says, and motions.

It's the one with the Kenobi Fight decal on it.

* * *

Cody, like all clones is a Force null – but even then he can feel there is something… off about the Temple atmosphere. He's been to the Jedi Temple some dozen times at Jinn's side, or escorting Skywalker, or some other General, and the Temple had always seemed like completely still pond in the middle of a trash heap that was the rest of Coruscant – a strange oasis of calm in the chaos. According to Jinn, that's how it felt to most people, Force sensitive or not – the effect of thousands of generations of Jedi, impressing their calm and soothing presence into the Force, and into the very foundations of the Temple.

Today, it feels like someone has thrown a rock into the pond, and the surface is still rippling, distorting the calm.

"This way," Jinn guides him through the Temple, it's vast, mostly empty halls, leading him from the landing pads up and up and finally to the central spires, on top of which the High Council chambers sit – overlooking the entire planet, it feels like. Cody barely gets a moment to enjoy the view outside,, before the white glad Temple Guards ahead of them open the doors and announce them in.

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn with Marshal Commander Cody."

Cody makes a mental note of that, with long grained practice – the use of his name and not his number, and the fact that the Temple Guard recognised him on sight. The fact that there's guards here, at the very heart of the Jedi temple, too, that's… strange. Cody's never been to the High Council chambers, and so he doesn't know for sure if they're customarily guarded or not... but he wouldn't have thought the Jedi High Council, the most powerful Jedi of the order, would need protection at the very centre of their own temple.

Unless they aren't there so much for protection – but for later _removal_ of unwanted persons.

Jinn shows Cody through the doors and keeping his head held high, Cody follows. The Council chambers are much like he expected, except for one thing – the floor in between the seats is not empty. There are two figures there – a male Jedi he doesn't recognise, a Kiffar with dreaded hair and yellow tattoo across his face.

And on the floor beside him, sitting with his feet crossed in his lap, is Obi-Wan Kenobi, his head turned to watch them as they enter.

Cody's steps falter. It's not the bruises on Kenobi's face, the one visibly damaged and bloodshot eye, or the fact that part of his hair has clearly been burned _off_ … so much as the fact that the man is there _at all_. Cody had been expecting to face the Jedi council for his frankly mutinous activities within the GAR, not… not _this_.

Seeing Kenobi alive after all this time is like a punch to the gut. The man offers him a smile, pained and a little bloody with his lips dry enough to _crack,_ and somehow, it makes it worse. His hands are cuffed – Force inhibitors glowing faint blue against his trousers.

Four months, three of which with no clue where the man was, and less than a week to Cody trying to come to terms with the man's likely death behind the scenes… and there he is, beaten and bloodied, in the Jedi Temple.

"Commander Cody, thank you for coming," General Windu says, not looking away from Kenobi. "This Council has some questions for you, if you would be willing to answer us. Would you mind taking off your helmet?"

"Sir," Cody says, scrambling mentally to re-adjust his thinking, and takes his bucket off, schooling his expression to blank neutrality as he does. "If I can be any help, I'll be happy to."

"Good, good," General Yoda says, grimmer than Cody has ever seen him. He motions at Kenobi. "Know this man do you, Commander?"

"Yes, I do, sir," Cody says, glancing at Kenobi, who looks him searchingly up and down, smiling faintly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Separatist General and an enemy whom we captured roughly four months ago, and delivered to Coruscant and to the Senate." And who then vanished into bureaucracy, he doesn't add.

General Koon hums. "I hope you understand you aren't here accused of anything, Commander," he says kindly. "We only want you to corroborate some of the things Obi-Wan Kenobi has been saying, if you can."

"Yes, sir."

"Kenobi says you two spent the night together before he was handed over to the Senate," Windu says – which sounds _very much_ like an accusation. The Jedi councilor continues. "He says that he told you some of his… theories of the war. Can you share those theories with us?"

Cody hesitates. He isn't sure he can even remember the exact things Kenobi had told him – his own research and work since then overlaps most of it, now, maybe even eclipses it. And right now he can't say if he's glad or not that he convinced those in the know not to share the conspiracy with their generals, after all. If Windu and Koon knew now…

They're still waiting for him to answer. "It was a while ago, Generals, and I can't remember it word for word," Cody says. "But roughly summarised, he told me he joined this war out of curiosity following Mandalore's declaration of non-interference after seeing some logical inconsistencies in how the war was managed."

It gets some reactions from the Jedi, some frowns, couple of sighs, serious looks deepening. Kenobi, if he reacts, Cody can't tell – he doesn't look at the man.

"Please, Commander, if you can elaborate at all, it would be appreciated," Shaak Ti says gently. "Any details might be vital."

What had Kenobi said again… damn it all. "He pointed out some of Separatist tactics, some Republic ones, and how they seemed to be switched around. That the Republic, as the aggressor of the war, should be on the offensive and not on the defensive, and that the Separatists were acting as though the offenders, when they should be the underdogs in the war," Cody says. "That it made no sense, that – that it was as though the point of the war was to bankrupt the galaxy."

Cody hesitates and when the Generals wait for more, he adds the one thing he does remember, word for word. "He said that it was like someone had engineered everything to create a galaxy-wide power vacuum."

That gets a more noticeable reaction, and General Windu leans back in his seat, releasing a sigh. "Those were his words exactly?"

"As far as I can remember them, sir, yes."

"Did you report this to your General?" General Poof asks, eyes narrowed as he peers at Cody.

Cody hesitates. "No, I didn't."

"Why not?"

Cody presses his lips together – there's no answer to that which wouldn't incriminate him.

"Because he wasn't supposed to even see Kenobi," Jinn says wryly. "The meeting was _clandestine,_ and if he'd told me, I would've had to take disciplinary action."

Cody stays in attention, keeps his face expressionless, and says nothing, reacting in no way whatsoever to the looks sent his way. It's true, but not exactly the reason why he hadn't shared Kenobi's words with _Jinn_ in particular. He wasn't sure how the man would react – he still isn't. He isn't sure how any of the Jedi would react – because even now the only reaction seems to be frustration that something Kenobi might've said Cody corroborated perfectly.

"You are compromised, Commander," Shaak Ti comments quietly.

Cody considers, very briefly, of speaking up in his own defence, pointing out that he both secured Kenobi's surrender, and delivered him to Coruscant Guard, and that he is _loyal_ to the GAR… but he doesn't. There is no point. He _is_ compromised, and trying to claim otherwise would just mark him as a liar – the Jedi would be able to feel it.

Part of him is morbidly curious what Jedi would do to compromised clones. He doesn't think they'd execute him, that's not the Jedi way. They might send him back to Kamino for re-education or decommissioning at worst, but Shaak Ti of all people knows what that means for a clone. So what would be a Jedi punishment for him be, if they even decided to dish one out?

One point in the favour of their Jedi Generals – the percentage of them that ever use disciplinary punishment beyond the occasional re-assignment or demotion is barely a _fraction._

"Is there anything else you remember from what Kenobi told you, from that particular time or any of your previous engagements," Windu asks, glancing away from Kenobi to Cody.

Kenobi glances at him, and his expression is a little less confident now, and a little more worried. Cody considers him and then answers, "He implied that his plan was to get sent to Coruscant as a prisoner – as it was one of the few ways a Separatist General could get access to the heart of the Republic."

Windu looks clearly troubled by that, but not surprised. "Hm. Have you had any contact with Kenobi since then, Commander?"

"None, sir," Cody says, a little cooler. He'd been able to follow Kenobi's trail barely three weeks, before the man disappeared. "This is the first time I've seen him since we left him in the hands of the Coruscant Guard."

"I see," Windu says and nods. "Thank you, Commander, you have been very helpful. You may go –"

"Oh, _please._ Let him stay," Kenobi says, and his voice is wrecked in a way Cody hadn't expected. It makes Cody's spine tingle, as Kenobi continues, rough as sandpaper. "He's your highest ranking military commander, isn't he? Surely he, if _anyone,_ should have the right to know what is going on behind the scenes."

Yarael Poof lifts his head to it's full height, which is pretty damn high, looking offended. "This is a _Jedi_ matter, Kenobi – "

"This has _nothing_ to do with the Jedi, actually. My history aside," Kenobi says in a dry rasp and then relents, nodding to the Kiffar standing bedside him. "And Quinlan's timely intervention, which was most appreciated. This has more to do with the war and the military – more to do with the clones, than it has to do with you. Let Cody stay."

"The very commander you yourself compromised," Shaak Ti comments, pointedly.

"The brilliant military tactician I pointed to a certain path – whether he's taken any steps on that path since, I have no way of knowing, nor have I had a way to influence him further. I was a little busy elsewhere," Kenobi says and shifts where he's sitting, uncomfortable, lifting his cuffed hands pointedly before letting them drop again. "Cody deserves to know _why_ I compromised him. Surely as _Jedi_ you should see the justice in that."

Cody can feel his limbs tremble with sudden, strange energy bubbling inside him, before he stiffens himself and stands in attention.

There's a moment of quiet and then Windu glances at Yoda, who frowns, sitting back. "This is one of your many manipulations, Kenobi," Windu says then. "We do not _treat_ with the _Sith._ "

Kenobi snorts at that, loud and sharp. "And _yet_ ," he says, darkly amused.

"Master Qui-Gon, Commander Cody, dismissed you are," Yoda says. "Grateful for your time we are. Discussed further these matters in future will be."

"Sirs," Cody says, looking at Kenobi even as Jinn steps back with a bow, moving to back away. There's only seconds, maybe, if _only…_ there's nothing he can say, not with the Jedi watching, but maybe he can convey something, maybe _Kenobi_ can convey something…!

The man on the floor meets his eyes with a calculative, weary look in his yellow eyes – and then does the strangest thing.

He lifts his shackled hands and pantomimes the action of shooting himself in the head with a blaster.

" _Dismissed_ , Commander – thank you," Windu says sharply.

Cody, feeling strangely _hurt_ by the irreverent gesture from Kenobi, snaps to a salute. "Generals," he says and then, with a last glance at the darksider, turns around and follows Jinn out. Jinn gives him a look that might be sympathetic, Cody isn't sure, and the doors to the council chambers close behind them, leaving Kenobi behind with the Kiffar Jedi, and all the Jedi council.

A shot in the head. A _shot in the head_ – what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Outside, Jinn turns to face Cody. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be, sir?" Cody asks automatically, while going through every moment of what just happened, trying to analyse it, trying to figure it out.

Jinn looks at him searchingly. "I won't lie to you," he says quietly. "I don't know what happened to Kenobi – but I know he's been tortured and he's not in good shape. And we know he is _still_ trying to manipulate the situation to his benefit, somehow. I doubt very much that whatever will follow will mean his freedom."

Cody looks up to the taller man, blinking. "What are you saying, sir?"

"Don't get your hopes up, Commander," Jinn says plainly, but not unkindly. "Kenobi might be the prisoner of the Jedi Order currently and not the Senate… but he's still a prisoner."

"I understand, sir," Cody agrees slowly, biting his tongue on the fact that he also knows that even now, four months in, Kenobi still hasn't been given a legal trial, public or otherwise, and they're pretty far past the limitations of holding uncharged captives at this point. War tends to make away with rules like that. "How did he end up here, sir?"

"All I know is that Quinlan Vos brought him," Jinn admits and leads Cody to the elevators. "I don't know from where, or how, or why. I am not privy to the details."

"Right," Cody says, frowning, wondering why Jinn was excluded. He wasn't in the Council, sure, but he was still one of the older Jedi Masters, pretty damn well respected despite his distant attitude. And Kenobi and he had history. You'd think the man might have some insight.

Jinn looks at him searchingly and then hums, loosening his hands from his robe sleeves. "I do know that things are about to come to ahead," he says quietly, as the elevator doors close and give them some form of privacy. "We all feel it – the war is at a breaking point. And I am pushing the limits of plausible deniability here, Commander."

Cody's back straightens, sharp, as though something had struck him.

Jinn closes his eyes and sighs and says nothing more, his silence heavy like a blanket over Cody. Has – has it always been like that?

Has Jinn been... _protecting_ them with his detachment, by pretending not to see what they were doing, what _Cody_ was doing?

Cody wants to ask, feeling a sudden, almost aching regret that he hadn't seen it before, that he hadn't expected it. He thinks of all the moments his men had been too careless when Jinn had been there, when he'd expected the man to say something, but he hadn't. It had felt like the man didn't care, like he didn't trust them, didn't think what they were doing was significant… didn't think they could be a threat...

Swallowing Cody looks ahead as the elevator comes to a halt.

Jinn opens his eyes and steps ahead, not saying as Cody falls in step with him. Above them in the council chambers Obi-Wan Kenobi's interrogation continues, and Cody can only imagine the things man had to say, the things he might've learned when in the dark. Things a pantomimed shot to the head might imply.

He thinks he might be finally out of time. He had to make the decision. 

"Are you joining us on the Negotiator, General?" Cody asks as they reach the LAAT/i on the Temple landing pad.

Jinn considers it for a moment and then hums. "I think I better not," he says regretfully and smiles. "My knee is acting up again. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your work.."

"I… understand, sir," Cody says, and hopes to Stars he actually does.

"I'll see what I can do here, in the meantime," Jinn says and clasps him on the shoulder, his hand heavy on Cody's pauldron. "May the Force be with you… Commander

Cody swallows and, somewhat impulsively, gives the man a brisk salute. "You too, sir," he says. There's more he wants to say, there's things he wants to ask, but… he can't, not in an open hanger.

Jinn smiles, bows his head, and let's him go. Cody turns on his heel, marches to the LAAT/i, and tries to make the right decision. To submit to the grim future they could see coming… or to mutiny.

In the end, the choice is taken from Cody's hands. By the time he reaches the Negotiator, it's already in the news.

The Separatists are launching an all out invasion on Coruscant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuun.


	10. Chapter 10

Well, at least the Jedi Order continues the trend of having frankly pleasant prison cells. Sure, it's only a room with a fresher and no window, but there's a screen across from it showing a view of a garden, which Obi-Wan muses is supposed to soothe his spirits. It's a little ham-handed, really, and vaguely contemptuous, the assumption that what the Jedi consider _peaceful_ would be seen as such by others as well, but he supposes it beats a blank wall. Far better than what Sidious offered him, anyway,

With a quiet sigh, Obi-Wan sits in the middle of the cell floor. Knowing the cell would have to be a Jedi proof and therefore it would be impenetrable by any methods he might use, there's no point in trying to escape. As it is, there are Temple Guards stationed near the exits and occasionally patrolling the hallway, watching him. He'd just embarrass himself, making the attempt.

It's all out of his hands, for now. That's what he gets, for betting with such high stakes – shunted off to the side, while the real game takes place elsewhere. As in chess, so in life.

For a while Obi-Wan sinks into meditation, but with the Force inhibitors it doesn't do much for him, really. He considers sleeping, but he's still buzzing with the medicine given to him, the bacta treatments tingling on every healing cut – he wouldn't be able to settle. There's nothing to entertain himself with, so Obi-Wan just stares at the live image of the garden blankly. He thinks he might be of the Room of Thousand Fountains.

Time passes slowly in prison, when there's no convenient bouts of unconsciousness to keep one occupied.

He wonders, quietly, if the battle is taking place yet. If not, then it would be soon – and damn if he isn't sorry to be missing it. Two greatest fleets the galaxy has ever seen, smashing into each other on orbit right over the most populated planet in the galaxy. It would be raining fire on Coruscant tonight, as ships destroyed broke apart and plummeted down into the planet's atmosphere. Even with his connection to the Force severed, he can feel it – the precipice of pure, bloody _chaos_ the planet is about to experience.

It would certainly make for a terrible reminder, a greater motivator – and an incredible stepping stone. Sidious' methods are heavy handed, but damn effective.

There's a sound of a door opening and then soft steps that don't match the clip of Temple Guards' armoured boots. Obi-Wan looks up and he is and isn't surprised to see Qui-Gon Jinn, stepping in front of his cell.

"Are you here to conscientiously object?" Obi-Wan asks, amused. "One would think you'd be in orbit already, taking part in the fight."

Qui-Gon says nothing for a moment, just sighs and then sits down across from him, kneeling on the hard floor. The force field in between distorts his image slightly, so it's hard to say if the expression on his face is pain or not… but it looks like the move takes some effort. Qui-Gon is getting old – he's past seventy now, and even his masterful manipulation of the Living Force couldn't hold off aging forever.

"I have abstained from the fight, and stepped down from my position in the military," the Jedi says, quietly. "I am no longer a General."

Obi-Wan narrows his eyes, curious. At the eve of this particular battle? "Just like that?" Obi-Wan asks dubiously. "They just… let you? And here I thought Jedi were getting a little thin on the ground." Never mind the fact that the Jedi were technically conscripts – he hadn't realised they had a choice.

Qui-Gon gives him a wry look. "It wasn't received without objections, I assure you."

Maybe it's different when one is a hallowed Jedi Master. "Don't tell me I changed your mind about things. Little old me?" Obi-Wan snorts. "Not much of a gesture, that, this late in the game, don't you think?"

"Better late than never, I think," Qui-Gon says and rests his hands on his folded legs, watching him levelly. "And I hope it counts for more than a gesture, in the end. I can feel it – I can see it. What brought you here, what drew you here, I can sense it now. It's taken me many months of work, but I see it."

"See what?" Obi-Wan asks, smiling. "The precipice of disaster, perhaps?"

Qui-Gon smiles back, and it seems almost sincere – almost fond. He doesn't say it, though. Of course not.

Well well. Obi-Wan huffs out a dry laugh and shakes his head. "Sure, okay. You _see_ now. Congratulations. Do you think there's anything you can do with this new insight – this _foresight_ – whatever it is?"

"Why do you think I'm here?" Qui-Gon asks mildly. "I will keep you company, until it's over."

Obi-Wan leans back a little at that. _Until it's over._ Damn. Maybe he _does_ see it.

Qui-Gon waves his hand smoothly through the air, not even looking, and behind him the view on the screen changes – the scene of the garden flickers out, and is replaced by a live feed of one of Coruscant's many major news agencies, reporting on the situation on orbit. Obi-Wan's eyes are immediately drawn to it, to the scene from space, captured by probably thousand different satellites.

"Great. We can watch your world burn together," Obi-Wan says, frowning, counting ships – it's a lot of dreadnoughts out there. No gunfire yet, no explosions. He'd not sure if he's relieved or disappointed – seems like he hasn't missed the show after all. "Care to bet on the result, my former master? You do so like betting on human lives and motivations."

"You're playing with cards up your sleeve, so, not this time," Qui-Gon says. "I think I will rather prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and either way… trust in the Will of the Force."

Obi-Wan snorts, shaking his head and keeping his eyes on the screen. "Right," he says and folds his arms, still eying the screen. "I don't play card games," he says then, a little more honest than he probably should be, but what the hell – it's the last round. "Too much chance involved, too many changes to stack the decks."

"Oh? Nor enough strategy? What's your game of choice, then?"

Obi-Wan smiles. "Chess."

Qui-Gon actually chuckles at that. "Ah. Of course. And you're still in the game, even here, locked away behind a force field. I wonder, though," Qui-Gon says, thoughtful, almost curious as the ships on orbit size each other up, shifting into position, preparing for the engagement. "Did you plan this from the very beginning?"

Obi-Wan chuckles. "No," he admits. "Cody's bait was so simple, I didn't suspect it – I went into that fight with every expectation of a fair fight, not a trap. I was planning to win."

Qui-Gon arches his brows at that. "Really? You took defeat… very gracefully."

"I simply adjusted my plans. That's how you survive in war – you adapt to changing situations. No plan survives contact with the enemy," Obi-Wan shrugs. "In defeat as well as in victory, so as long as there are still moves that can be made, the game still continues. I saw new opportunities rise while others closed, and I pursued a new path."

"So coming to Coruscant… was not your original plan," Qui-Gon murmurs. "But once the opportunity became available… hm. You still had a strategy in mind for Coruscant, didn't you?"

"I promise you, things didn't go the way I planned there either," Obi-Wan admits. He'd thought he'd been prepared for the Sith Lord – he hadn't been. But he'd found out what he set out to learn – their identity and plan. "Things went wrong, it happens. In war you learn, you adapt, you compromise and you optimise your chances as much as you can. Everything else is luck."

"There's no such thing as luck," Qui-Gon says, automatically. "You said that yourself – and you don't like chance."

Obi-Wan smiles. "Ah, apologies – effect of a lifetime spent around superstitious Force-Null soldiers, I'm afraid. Everything else is the _Force_."

Qui-Gon considers him at length, stroking his beard, and Obi-Wan turns his eyes back to the screen again, waiting eagerly for the battle to commence.

And it never does.

* * *

Qui-Gon eventually leaves to find out what is going on, leaving Obi-Wan in the dark, with nothing but confused news hosts and live footage from the orbit to keep him company. The screen is silent, he can't hear what is being said, but he can see the writing scrolling in the bottom of the screen, and read the lips of the increasingly confused human host.

For some inexplicable reason, both armies on orbit had simply… ceased. No shots had been fired, and the thousands of fighters launched are just… sitting there, in the vacuum of space in between the two fleets. The host wonders if someone had perhaps opened negotiations to avoid hostilities? They're trying to get in touch with the Senate for answers, but the Senate building has been evacuated in expectation of bombing. No one has answers. Everyone is just holding their breaths.

Obi-Wan restrains himself from pacing his cell restlessly, scanning every image eagerly for familiar ships. There, the Negotiator – right in the thick of it, _doing nothing._ Is dear Cody on board? Is this… his move? He feels it might be and _oh,_ if only Obi-Wan could be there, to see him make it. Right now the best he can hope for is to live through this, to see the end of it.

Then it scrolls on the bottom of the screen, two words, bolded and bright. CLONE MUTINY.

"Oh?" Obi-Wan breathes softly, leaning in eagerly as an urgent host comes up on screen, talking rapidly of whatever breaking news they had just gotten word of. She looks breathless, so it must be very exciting indeed.

And it is.

The clones on orbit had mutinied. They had taken over every battle cruiser and every destroyer, they imprisoned their natural born officers, including their Jedi Generals, and they'd taken charge of the fleet in one fell swoop. Approximately five hundred thousand clones on orbit, and they'd just… taken over. Now they are refusing to fight – refusing to engage.

Obi-Wan lets out an incredulous, joyful laugh. "My glorious Cody, you beautiful _madman,_ " he breathes, wishing desperately that the screen had audio – he wants to _hear_ as well as see it, the shock, the horror in the host's voice. He wants to know what they feel like. How terrible it must be for them, how utterly surprising – their perfect mass manufactured armies, their custom order slaves, refusing to take orders.

For a moment, Obi-Wan leans in and he feels nothing but joyously _elated…_ and then he reality asserts itself.

It's... too soon.

There is no way Cody could have figured out his message on time, no way he could have done anything about it in the scant few hours that have passed. If he had understood at all…

Perhaps he had misinterpreted the gesture. Obi-Wan can see how he might have, seeing this strategy play out. By refusing to fight the Separatists, Cody is tying Sidious' hands – the Sith can't exactly let the Confederation of Independent Systems to _actually_ attack and invade Coruscant, that would be the end of the Republic, and he still needs it. Cody must've realised it too, that if one side stopped, the other couldn't continue either, not here, not now. Coruscant remains too valuable to really risk it.

And the follow up would be very telling. The Republic Forces mutiny and mysteriously the CIS forces don't press for advance. How strange must that be, for the good people of Coruscant, that their enemy, when lacking opposition, simply… stops?

The planet, the battle and the entire galaxy hangs on a precise, on a _dare,_ on a call of a bluff. It's a risky move, Cody is being _so brave_ in taking it that it steals Obi-Wan's breath away...

But Cody couldn't have done anything to the chips yet – and therefore Sidious still holds the reins.

Obi-Wan sits back down, breathing in and out. There's nothing he can do. He can only wait.

So he waits.

And _waits._

And eventually, the guns on orbit turn on the Jedi Temple, instead.

* * *

When Obi-Wan had seen Cody for the first time, the Force had whispered to him, _this one_.

He's turning that moment in his head, wondering if he'd made a mistake, when Qui-Gon returns. The man is not alone – Mace Windu is with him, and he is as furious as someone tightly controlled can get. Obi-Wan doesn't need the Force to feel it, it's right there, in every tightly restrained move of his body, how much the man wants to pull a lightsaber on him.

"I should kill you where you stand," the Councillor says, low. "What did you do to the clones?"

That's… a loaded sentence if there ever was one. Something had happened, the news was clear on that, but they didn't know what. It could be the mutiny, but Obi-Wan doubts it. The Contingency Orders must've come into play – but why does Windu think he had anything to do with it? Had Sidious found a way to pin it on him? If he had, then Obi-Wan would be most impressed with the man's sheer daring – but why in _Force's light_ would the man ever do that?

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, Master Windu," Obi-Wan says mildly and holds up his wrists. "I've been in prison."

The forcefield in between them snaps out of existence, leaving behind a distinctive ozone smell and nothing to hold Obi-Wan back from stepping out – nothing but a couple of Jedi Masters and a pair of Force inhibitors.

"The clones turned on us," Windu says.

"Yes, I saw the reports on the mutiny," Obi-Wan agrees and smiles. "I think you might've had that one coming."

"No – that _turned_ on us," Windu snarls. "They – they don't even feel like themselves. You did _something_ to them."

Obi-Wan hesitates and glaces at Qui-Gon.

"They are threatening to bomb Coruscant from orbit if we don't release you to them immediately," Qui-Gon says quietly, grimly. "The Coruscant Guard is holding the Senate hostage."

… Well now. "I think you had better let me go, then," Obi-Wan says, his mind working feverishly to figure it out. It doesn't sound like something the clones would do, not even in desperation… but it doesn't sound like something Sidious would do either, not willingly. Something must've gone gloriously wrong.

"What did you do?" Windu demands. "My own commander, who has never felt a moment of doubt or hesitation, pulled a weapon in me. It wasn't _natural_."

"What do you think is natural in war, then?" Obi-Wan asks. "You've learned to expect unquestioning loyalty from your slave army, because they have been trained to serve, because they have been bred for obedience. I suppose losing that adoring willingness to die without question would feel strange after many years, but believe me, it's perfectly natural for beaten men to –"

Windu's lightsaber blade tears into existence, and points to his throat. "Do not speak to me about loyalty," the Jedi Master snarls. "We moulded ourselves to be their Generals because they needed us, because we had responsibility over them. I _love_ my men and I know them like I know myself, they've become part of me and part of this Order – and I know when Ponds pulled his rifle on me, it was not _him._ Something was done to his mind in an instant. What did you do?"

Obi-Wan faces the blade and let's the taunting expression fade. Love, hm? "Master Windu, that sounds dangerously like attachment," he says flatly. "I believe that's not the Jedi way."

" _What did you do_?"

"Obi-Wan – what happened happened to Cody too," Qui-Gon says, drawing Obi-Wan's eyes to him. "And I know you wouldn't do that. So if you know what it is…?"

_Cody._

"I told you this wasn't a Jedi matter," Obi-Wan says plainly and looks at Windu. "You didn't listen. Now are you going to risk orbital bombardment, or are you going to take me to him?"

* * *

The Coruscant Guard is waiting for him when the Jedi deliver him to the hangar. Anakin Skywalker is with them, nursing a blaster wound and held in Force inhibitors – he looks afraid and pissed off, which Obi-Wan muses he probably has the right to, if the Guard are really holding the Senate hostage.

Sidious had implied a thing or two about the man, offhand, trying to provoke jealousy, as though Obi-Wan had anything more than occupation in common with the Jedi Knight.

"I didn't take you for something like, like _this,_ " Skywalker says angrily, seeing him.

"What did you take me for, then?" Obi-Wan asks, rubbing at his now bare wrists and looking at the Coruscant Guard over. He'd gotten pretty intimate with several of these men in his captivity – and Windu is right, none of them feel like themselves. Commander Fox is there, and that deep grained _misery_ that usually hung about him is gone, replaced by blank, unquestioning discipline. It looks like he's been in a fight, too, and not one he came away unscathed from. Most of the clones in front of him are injured, their armour splashed with new shades of red.

Obi-Wan frowns. These men should be in infirmary getting patched up – and yet none of them are even feeling any pain.

Skywalker snarls at him and then looks at Windu. "The Chancellor is dead – I was there," he says, strangled. "It was – I don't even know what it was."

Windu hesitates, glancing at Obi-Wan. He wants to ask for details – he doesn't want to ask while Obi-Wan is there. Well, too bad.

"Do tell," Obi-Wan says blankly. "What did dear old Chancellor Sidious do before his death?"

That makes Windu and Qui-Gon both stand up straighter, but Skywalker doesn't contradict it. "We got a transmission from orbit, one of the admirals got a word through about the mutiny. The Chancellor, he – he got in contact with Commander Cody, though it took effort," the youngest Jedi says and shakes his head, confused. "Cody started to make his demands but the Chancellor, he – it was some kind of… overwrite I think. He gave an order, and Cody and all the clones in the room holding us at gunpoint, they just – changed."

So the chips had been activated. "What was the order?" Obi-Wan asks.

Skywalker hisses. "I don't know, it was just a number. Order 74."

Acting on a hunch, Obi-Wan turns to the clones. "Commander Fox, can you recite order 74 to me, please?"

"Sir," the clone answers briskly. "Order 74 states that in a foothold or a mutiny situation, all Clones are to turn their efforts to securing the Highest Ranking Commander at any means necessary – by using lethal force on civilians and Republic citizens if necessary."

Obi-Wan's brows arch. "Well then. Who is your Highest Ranking Commander?" he asks, horrified and fascinated all at once – because it turns out definitely wasn't Sidious.

"Commander Cody, sir."

A gleeful grin dawns on Obi-Wan's face. " _Of course_ he is."

"What?" Windu asks and frowns, thinking. "The Chancellor gave the order – Skywalker, what happened next?"

Skywalker hesitates. "Cody gave an order to the Coruscant Guard, to kill Chancellor Palpatine," he says, shifting uncomfortably. "Because he was a threat. I was too far away to get him on time and the Chancellor, he… he pulled out a lightsaber. I don't know how many of the clones he managed to kill before they gunned him down, there were so many."

"The Chancellor had a lightsaber?" Qui-Gon asks, looking at Obi-Wan.

Skywalker nods weakly. "Yes, Master – a red one."

The silence that follows is full of confused hurt. Poor poor Jedi. Oh well, as much as Obi-Wan is enjoying the Jedi's confusion, he has better places to be. "Well, it's been an absolute pleasure to be here," he says with a wry smile. "But it's time I go. Commander, please – take me to Cody."

"Right away, sir," Fox says, salutes, and takes him to the awaiting ship.

"Oh, and my dear Jedi?" Obi-Wan says over his shoulder. "Be sure to package my armour and weapons, if you will? I do want them back."

* * *

The atmosphere in the Negotiator is… brisk and military perfect. The clones that are moving about in the ship, patrolling and attending to their duties, do so at steady march, all in perfect lines – like droids. None of them feel quite like themselves – or fully like _people_ – anymore.

Obi-Wan observes them closely and comes to the conclusion that Order 74 had been universally implemented – all the clones had been affected.

Cody included.

The Marshall Commander is on the bridge and his reaction to seeing Obi-Wan is… bland. "Sir," he says, salutes, and feels _nothing._ "It's good to see you safe. What are your orders?"

"Oh, sweetheart," Obi-Wan answers, sighing fondly. "You've given me a kingly gift, haven't you? My dear, perfect Commander."

No reaction, beyond the attention Cody is already giving him, waiting unquestioningly for him to give an order. Obi-Wan could tell him to walk out an airlock right now and Cody would do it and he wouldn't even feel betrayed. Because good soldiers follow orders.

Obi-Wan can see what Sidious must have. This kind of obedience is _heady._

Giving into his temptation, Obi-Wan reaches and takes off Cody's helmet, right there and then, in front of all Cody's men in the bridge. It feels a little daring, kind of a sweet taboo, how Cody allows it, how they all just watch, saying nothing – it almost makes Obi-Wan want to strip the man bare entirely, just because Cody would let him, because no one would stop him.

He doesn't, examining Cody's expression instead, the blank yet keen look of attentiveness. Lights are on and the freighter is running – completely on autopilot.

"My dear," Obi-Wan murmurs. "This isn't quite what I had in mind, I hope somewhere within your mind you know that."

"Apologies, sir," Cody says immediately.

Obi-Wan smiles sadly, patting his cheek and then looking away. Outside the front-facing windows he can see the distant specks of the Separatist fleet, still hanging on, still waiting to see what would happen. "Have we had any contact with Count Dooku?"

"Yes sir – should we open a line for you?" Wooley asks – his mental state the exact same as Cody's, void of emotion.

"If you would, please," Obi-Wan says, stroking his hand down Cody's cheek fondly and then moving to the holotable.

Dooku's visage pops up immediately.

"... Kenobi?" the Sith asks, surprised.

"Sidious is dead – he executed one of the Contingency Orders and it backfired on him," Obi-Wan says. "The clones gunned him down and are currently holding the Republic government at gunpoint, waiting for _my_ command. The war is over, count."

Dooku is quiet for a very telling two seconds. "Well, you turned out to be a even better hire than I thought, my once-grand-Padawan. What do you intend to do with this new army of yours?"

Obi-Wan smiles. "Well, I'm sure as hell not going to get them all killed fighting a fake war when the instigator of that war is already dead," he says wryly. "You've won this battle by default – Coruscant is all but ripe for the taking. We won't stop you… probably."

" _Probably_ ," the count repeats wryly. "So I'm assuming you will not be returning to the Confederacy?"

"And give you all the firepower needed to control the galaxy – I think not. That will just put us back into status quo," Obi-Wan daisy and clasps his hands behind his back. "But I have no quarrel with you either – unless you decide to make one. Will you?"

"Hmm. Out of curiosity, if I were to attack Coruscant now, undefended as it supposedly is…" Dooku trails away.

"You'd have little opposition, at first," Obi-Wan comments. "But you're intending to attack a planet of billions with only a few hundred thousand droids and a few hundred ships. The moment people down there realise they have superior numbers, you will lose ground war. The only way you can truly take Coruscant is with strategic orbital bombardment, by turning swathes of the planet to glass and forcing swift surrender – and that will awaken the slumbering beast that is the Republic citizenry. There is no war you can win, if you provoke them to truly and finally join the fight – numbers aren't in your side."

Which is why Sidious had spent so long shushing and appeasing them and assuring that they should all just stay home – the Republic population numbers in trillions and trillions in the Core alone. It's not a mob anyone can control.

Dooku scoffs, but it sounds more thoughtful than derisive. "What would you do, then?"

"Go home, Count. Sue for peace on the condition of the Confederacy's independence," Obi-Wan says with a shrug. "Split the galaxy at its seams, and call it a day."

"It's that simple, is it? And what will you do?" the Count asks. "What will you do with your stolen army?"

"I'm sure I can figure something out," Obi-Wan promises and smiles wider. "Perhaps I will end up waging a war against you – only this time, it will be a _true_ war."

The Sith hums. "I don't think that's necessary. We will withdraw – the day is yours, Kenobi. Congratulations."

Obi-Wan nods in acknowledgement and the holo cuts off. It takes some minutes for the Separatist forces to begin peeling off, so Dooku probably sent a message down to the planet below, announcing their retreat. Obi-Wan waits until the ships begin launching into hyperspace before turning to Cody.

He's still waiting for an order.

"Right, now then..." Obi-Wan murmurs, looking from one man to another. He can almost see the lines of authority here. Cody is the Highest Ranking Commander to the rest of the clones – they are waiting on his word. But Cody is a clone too – and Obi-Wan is _his_ chosen superior commander. 

"My beautiful, perfect commander," Obi-Wan sighs, taking Cody's face between his hands. "You brave, _brave_ man. I saw what you did, it was so glorious. I only regret I wasn't here to see it in person – you must've been working so hard. Were you nervous? Were you scared? You did so well, I am so proud of you."

There, he feels it – the spark of automatic, gut clenching pleasure at his words. Even through the command, Cody leans helplessly into the praise.

Obi-Wan smiles. "My clever, daring commander," he murmurs, pulling Cody closer and pressing their foreheads together, searching. "You took charge when it mattered the most, you flipped the tables in a Sith Lord! Even Jedi can't claim that. It took my breath away, the sheer audacity of it. Made me quite weak at the knees. Were you planning it for long?"

It's buckling now, the artificial control – Cody _strains_ to melt for him, wants to lean in, but the programming stops him.

Obi-Wan let's his lips stray close, but not close enough to touch. "You deserve," he breathes, "so many good things for this. Would you like that? I think you would. You deserve to be rewarded for all this hard work, my dear, and I so would wish to shower you with gifts, you've more than earned it... but you have to do one thing for me, first."

Cody struggles to speak, his body staining. "A-anything, sir."

"Free yourself," Obi-Wan murmurs, nuzzling his nose ever so slightly against Cody's cheek, close enough to kiss, but not giving it to him. "Break through it, for me. I know you can do it, you're so strong – do that, my darling, and I will take such good care of you, for as long as you want, forever if you wish. Do it, and I will give you everything you deserve and so much more...."

The fight inside Cody's mind is greater than the one that failed to take place in orbit – it's an all out war, a blaze of glory, which Obi-Wan greedily stokes with the touch of his fingers against Cody's temples, his cheek against his. 

"My commander," Obi-Wan murmurs, eager, breathless, tempting. "My brave, perfect soldier… come on, show me where it is, you can do it, you're doing so well..."

Cody strains and struggles – and then Obi-Wan feels it, the source of the struggle, the frontline of the battle. The chip is microscopic and almost invisible in the Force – but Cody's battle against it marks it out as surely though he'd given Obi-Wan its exact coordinates for aerial bombardment.

"Good man," Obi-Wan sighs, grips Cody's now sweaty scalp in his fingers and crushes the chip with the Force.

Cody rushes through the invisible barrier and bodily collides with Obi-Wan. "Kenobi, you – I –" the clone says, shaky, blinking, and then, half muffled against Obi-Wan's eager lips, calls, "Cancel Order 74!"

Obi-Wan grins, throwing his arms around and man and, ignoring the stunned breaths and shocked gasps around them, and goes about rewarding the commander _most_ thoroughly. Cody takes it at first confusedly, swaying against him, and then he leans in desperately, making _delightful_ little noises which Obi-Wan chases greedily, heedless of their confused audience.

"Um. _Wow_."

"Uh – should we – maybe power down our weapons?" someone asks little unsurely. "We're still poised to fire on Coruscant."

"Eh. Give it a minute."

"Yeah _, get it,_ commander."

Cody pulls back, his face red and eyes a little wild. "Recall our men from the planet, send prisoners down, and once everyone is on board, break orbit and set course for Kamino," he orders roughly, not looking away from Obi-Wan.

"Oh?" Obi-Wan asks, a thrilled shiver running through him as he tries very hard not to rub himself against the man's armour. "Kamino, hm?"

"We're going to take charge of the cloning facilities," Cody explains, almost sheepish. "There are a lot of our brothers there. It's, uh – we've been planning this."

"That's _marvellous,_ but, sweetheart, with this army you could conquer Kamino entirely," Obi-Wan says fondly, stroking a finger down Cody's scar. "Would you like some help with that?"

Cody blinks, looks up at the men watching them. His hands, resting on Obi-Wan's waist, tighten. "Yes. Let's get to work."

* * *

Leaving Coruscant isn't easy as all that – there's still the threat of war and invasion to be dealt with, there's a hasty treaty to write, promises to make, issues to be resolved. It wouldn't do for Coruscant to decide that they'd be going in to war with their former Grand Army, after all – the Clone Armies aren't any better equipped to take on the masses of the Republic than are the Separatists, if they decided to finally take arms.

"So that's it?" the Republic's new, frankly stressed looking representative, asks. "You swoop in, steal our military from under our noses, and call it peace?'

"My dear old friend, I didn't do any such thing," Obi-Wan purrs. "The clones freed themselves, I'm barely an accessory to their independence."

"Uh-huh," Bail Organa answers, dry. "Sure you had nothing to do with this at all. You're there completely by accident. Pretty much running the show. Right."

"I'm an advisor only," Obi-Wan smiles, rubbing his foot against Cody's under the desk. "And, well, it was the _greatest army in the galaxy_ , how could I resist? Now, do you accept our offer of cessation of hostilities or not?"

"What if we don't?" Bail asks with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "I mean, we will, there's no other choice here. But just out of curiosity."

Obi-Wan gives him a look.

Bail sighs again. "And if the Separatists attack?"

Obi-Wan hums. He can't say they wouldn't, who knows what Dooku would do now that no one is holding his reins. "If they're smart, they won't. And if they do, we're open for further negotiations. Perhaps we might be for hire. Who knows."

In the end, the Republic signs their temporary cease fire with minimal public complaint. There's whispers of accusations of treason, but you can't exactly blame the clones of that - they aren't even citizens, after all.

After the intermediate treaties are signed, prisoners have exchanged hands and Obi-Wan's armour and lightsaber have been returned to him, there are the casualties to be dealt with. Almost thirty clones from the Coruscant Guard died to bring Palpatine down. They all get a hero's send off and Remembrance, with Cody thanking each personally. The rest, most of them in medical bay now, take the news of their sacrifice solemnly.

"Just wish I'd been a little more aware when we did it, sir," Commander Fox sighs. 

And the rest. It turns out not all Generals were like Qui-Gon Jinn - some were actually good. And so some clones are… split between loyalties.

"I believe in the cause, of course," the one eyed clone at the head of the group says. "I want freedom for my brothers as much as any other clone, but…"

"But you want to stay with your Jedi," Cody guesses.

Wolffe glances up and sighs. "Me and the Wolfpack. There's other clones too, but… yeah. Figured we should start with just one group, and not all of us, all at once."

Obi-Wan says nothing, watching fascinated as Cody weighs his options, as he makes a difficult decision.

"Stay to help us take Kamino and finish the mutiny," Cody says finally, apologetically. "After _all_ of us are free, we will begin reforming the ranks and reexamining our vows – and if you choose the Jedi after that… you'll be free to. You and everyone else who wants to go will be allowed – we're not slaves, and we're not going to keep anyone against their will… but we need to take Kamino first."

And they do – it's not even a fight. Kaminoans take one look at them and simply surrender. They're not fighters, after all – there scientists, and the Clone Army is their greatest, proudest achievement. They know when they're outmatched.

"We will begin reversing inhibitor chips and the accelerated aging immediately," they say and, barely, earn themselves the right to keep their lives. Sometimes one has to admire the practicality of psychopaths.

And then the campaign is done - the war is over.

"Now what?" Obi-Wan asks Cody, as the Clone Army becomes a nation with a world of their own and means of reproduction at their grasp. "What's the next step, my dear?"

"I don't know," Cody admits, a little at a loss. "I – didn't really expect for us to succeed. There's peace, but the galaxy is splitting up into factions... What do you think?"

Obi-Wan runs a hand down his bare back, shamelessly feeling up his muscles, his scars, his everything. "I think you have done an incredible job, dearest, and deserve a break. There will be wars aplenty for us to fight in the future. And until then, I'm sure we can think of something to occupy ourselves, my perfect Cody, my brilliant commander…"

The clone melts into his arms as Obi-Wan whispers into his ear, going so beautifully pliant that Obi-Wan could cry. Cody truly was utterly wasted on the likes of Qui-Gon Jinn and the Republic. No matter.

Obi-Wan has him now and he's damn well going to keep him, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that. This fic ended up having way less smut than I was imagining but whatever, it's done now. All hail warlord Cody and his enabler general-consort. Not bad for a fic that started as crack and had no plan. Praise kink saves the day!
> 
> (From here on the galaxy splits into smaller and smaller independent factions, with the Core worlds losing more and more influence. The Jedi Order is probably going to end up kicked off Coruscant in some desperate attempt to sign blame, and in conclusion they become truly neutral force in the galaxy for the first time in centuries.
> 
> Anakin goes with Padme to Naboo, to rule and to recover from the shock and shame of unknowingly serving a Sith Lord. Qui-Gon Jinn settles into monastery somewhere and learns to join the Force. Some clones, like the Wolfpack, join up with their former Jedi Generals to form a peacekeeping, aid delivering groups probably, doing good things in a changing galaxy. They probably serve as intermediaries between the Jedi and the Clone Army. It's not easy, but they're happy.
> 
> And Obi-Wan and Cody lead their grand army together, conquer some systems, settle the clone brethren on some planets, go into war with other factions, collect glory and acclaim and fame - and praise.
> 
> The end)


End file.
